Job interviews are hard to get, so make the most of the opportunities. Make sure you avoid making these common mistakes.
Not realizing you are “on stage” at all times
Act as though you are being observed from even before you drive into the parking lot to the moment you’re well out of sight. You just might be. People may observe you walking toward the building, run into you in the bathroom, and interact with you before and after your appointment with the boss. Be polite and friendly to everyone. You might think it didn’t matter that you flipped off the guy who took “your” space in the parking lot, were condescending to the secretary, or were seen talking to yourself in the bathroom, but you could be very wrong.
Being Late
Arriving late for an interview is not only discourteous, but it gives the impression that you aren’t enthusiastic about the job and you don’t have your act together. Lateness almost always kills your candidacy.
Don’t risk being late. Instead, arrive in the area a minimum of half an hour early, just to make sure that nothing will make you late. Go to a coffee shop or some other nearby facility, relax, read over your notes, and then arrive at the employer’s office ten to fifteen minutes before your appointment. Don’t arrive any earlier than that: being TOO early can also be a negative.
Not being knowledgeable
Employers expect you to know about their company, the industry, and the challenges that they face, so do your homework. With so much information available online, there’s no excuse for being unprepared.
Coming across as a know-it-all
One woman said that she would challenge the employer to name a problem he was dealing with, and she would tell him how to solve it. While I’m sure the woman was very capable, she didn’t realize that this could come across as disrespectful.
Put yourself in the boss’s shoes. For months, you’ve been trying hard to solve a thorny problem. Now, this candidate says she can solve it on the spot, without knowing anything about:
What you’ve already tried to resolve it
Organizational politics, policies and structures that may get in the way
Budgetary constraints
Other relevant factors
It would be all right to tell how she resolved SIMILAR problems, but never assume you can readily solve problems without all the relevant information.
Not being able to express your value
If you go to an interview unable to express the benefits that you bring to an organization, you have little or no chance of being hired. Saying that you had high-level experience at another company just doesn’t cut it.
Expressing your value takes some internal work and analysis. Develop a few phrases that express your pattern of success, and then illustrate these with well-crafted stories that show you at your best. These stories should tell what challenge you faced, what you did, and how you made a difference. Such stories not only powerfully convey your value, but they bring out your natural enthusiasm—one of the most important factors in being hired.
Revealing inappropriate information
Remember that you are marketing yourself in interviews. Don’t lie, but some information is best kept to yourself. Personal information is one example.
One woman in her thirties was afraid that employers would think her flighty if she revealed that she was moving back to Chicago to rekindle a romance with her old high school boyfriend. This is absolutely NOT the employer’s business—and there’s the employer will only know if you (unwisely) tell him/her.
Likewise, you’ve made mistakes. We all have. But if the employer asks about mistakes and failures, don’t tell about the stupidest thing you’ve ever done. Use this question as a chance to brag about yourself. Show how you learned from a mistake and succeeded the next time.
Condemning former employers
Once, on a second date, a woman told me I wasn’t a “jerk” like all the other men she’d dated. Alarm bells went off. I immediately thought, “How long before I become a “jerk?”
Likewise, if you condemn your former boss, you’re inviting trouble. It may be that your old boss was a mean-spirited, penny-pinching tyrant, but never say so in an interview. The boss doesn’t want to join your list of nasty bosses.
Not sending a thank you note
Very few job seekers follow up with thank you notes. You distinguish yourself by doing so. Email is OK, but it may get caught in spam filters or be deleted unread. Instead (or in addition to), add a more personal touch by sending a thank you letter or even a card with a handwritten note (if you had an especially good connection). Needless to say, your writing must be neat and legible.
Thank the interviewer for his/her time and reference a couple things you talked about. You might even share an article, cartoon, or other item that you think the boss would find interesting, based on your conversation.
