7 Top Mistakes Candidates Make in a Job Interview
I am a professional recruiter, and I have participated in hundreds of interviews. I can tell you some of the things that quickly take an interview south.
Job interviews are stressful whether you’ve done 1, 7, or 25. You are bound to make mistakes sometimes, and some interview questions or scenarios will throw you for a loop, guaranteed.
Below I have detailed 7 top mistakes candidates make during job interviews. But don’t worry; I’ve also included tips on steering clear of these avoidable mistakes to ensure your top potential in every job interview.
Read on for ways to keep your foot out of your mouth during a job interview and stay in the running for your dream job!
7 TOP MISTAKES CANDIDATES MAKE DURING JOB INTERVIEWS:
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Interview Mistake #1
The candidate doesn’t do any research on the company, organization, or job specifics.
RECRUITER INSIGHT:
This interview mistake is honestly one of THE most detrimental mistakes an interviewee can make, by a LONG SHOT.
When all else is equal between two candidates, THIS can be the difference between REJECTION and SELECTION.
Like dressing your best for the interview, this is one of the most important ways for you to say to a hiring panel, “I really care. I really want this job. And I take the time to be prepared.”
I’ve read this tip over and over throughout recruitment advice, but people aren’t doing it!! Seriously. Not even a little bit.
One time in a recruitment, we asked a candidate what they knew about our organization, and this person answered (in all seriousness), “I live in the city next to yours, and you have really nice trees.” NICE TREES! They’re the SAME TREES as your city’s trees.
Don’t be the “nice trees” person. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
Be intimately familiar with:
- The job description
- Company Mission, Vision, and Values
- Recent Press – what’s going on in this company?
- Awards, recognition, accolades – what are they boasting about on their website?
- Challenges – what are some known challenges for this company? (If they have anything clearly stated or publicized – always speak of these things with sensitivity and when appropriate)
Don’t sit and rattle off everything you know like an encyclopedia. That’s better than knowing nothing at all, but after all that work you’ve done, it’s not very impactful.
What’s most impactful on the interview panel is to talk about:
1) What you know
2) Why that attracted you to the organization and position, and
3) HOW YOU FIT IN
Interview Mistake #2
The candidate undersells him or herself in the interview introduction.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is when candidates ASSUME that the panel knows or remembers all of the amazing details of their work experience and education and therefore, doesn’t share nearly enough in their introduction.
As the HR Professional in the room, I will usually start by letting the candidate know that we have reviewed their application, however, that is not a free pass to not share all of your wonderful experiences and skills with us.
The “tell us about yourself” question is really the ONE question you can be 99% you will have to answer in some form or another, so prepare for it! And don’t be shy.
If you missed it, I have an entire blog devoted to this topic. READ IT HERE:
Interview Mistake #3
The candidate speaks poorly about their current or past employers.
It’s perfectly normal and understandable that you may have had some or many bad experiences with employers in your past. And many or all of those things may not have been your fault. However, the job interview setting is not the time to dump on the panel all of the things you are running away from.
We want candidates who are running TO us, not running AWAY from something else.
Those are two totally different candidates, motivated by two totally different things.
Disparaging your current or past employers in an interview setting does two things you don’t want:
First, It makes it seem like you are just running away as quick as you can and throwing “spaghetti on the wall,” by submitting your application any where and everywhere to get the next possible job. You don’t appear truly invested in this exact opportunity. You just need the next paycheck and not where you’re currently getting it.
Second, if you speak that way about your current or past employers, how are you going to speak about us?
You haven’t shown diplomacy or delicacy around the things that happened to you in another place, and while we may believe they are true, we also know that there are two sides to every story.
You haven’t built trust and rapport with us, and so we don’t know who or what to believe. Are you simply overdramatizing? Are you black-balling? Are you overly sensitive, needy, whiny, incapable, untrustworthy, dramatic or some other label you don’t want to be? THOSE are the things that can run through an interview panel’s mind while you spill your deep, dark secrets about your experiences at your past employer.
RISE ABOVE – and stay focused on YOU.
Share with us your challenges without disparaging others. Share with us how you have overcome, what you learned, and how you are a better person for us because of your experiences. I’m not saying you can’t share past challenges. I’m saying you have to be very mindful about how you present them.
Interview Mistake #4
The candidate makes it clear that our job is just a quick stepping stone to another job or opportunity.
Any good company will understand that the job you’re applying for may not be your final destination.
However, as the candidate, you have to remember that any company who picks you will spend time, money, and resources investing in your onboarding, training, and professional development. They want to know that they are going to get a return on that investment.
The reality of average tenure today is about 3 years, and companies are becoming more familiar with that, however it’s still a challenge for hiring managers to understand. I still have hiring supervisors shy away from candidates because of their “flight risk,” and I have to remind them of this tenure reality often.
You can help mitigate this concern of the hiring panel by being honest about your commitment to the job. It is ok to express future goals beyond the position itself, but be careful not to sound like you’re using the job as a quick stepping stone.
RECRUITER TIP:
In a job interview, do not use the phrase, “I just want to get my foot in the door.” Nothing says, “I’m just using you,” like this phrase.
You need to express a real reason for wanting a job, beyond what’s in it for you.
Interview Mistake #5
The candidate gives unclear examples, demonstrates a questionable history, or gives no examples at all.
For example, when asked the interview question: “What are your top three strengths for this job?,” the candidate responds with three strengths and very little evidence to back that up. As concisely as possible, match each response with a concrete example from your past that provides “proof” that you truly have that strength.
In another example, when asked the question, “Tell us about a time you had a conflict with someone else at work,” the candidate says, “I really can’t think of a time. I’m so easy going and I never have conflict with anyone.”
The question doesn’t say, “tell us about a time you had a fight with a coworker.” It asks about a conflict – it does not need to be some egregious or aggressive encounter with someone else at work.
Complete detail and honesty shows humanity, humility, and self-awareness. If you need to ask the panel for a moment to collect your thoughts, do that, but do not cop out of these responses.
Believe me, if you do not respond, or you respond with little to no detail, the panel will fill in the blanks for themselves. They will tell your story for you.
Interview Mistake #6
The candidate is not on time, or is not properly prepared, and doesn’t communicate with the hiring team.
First impressions are everything. If you can’t be on time to your interview, what are you saying to your interview panel? A million things: I don’t care, I’m not responsible for my actions, I don’t plan ahead, and you will not be able to rely on me if you select me for this job.
All of those things may be very far from the truth, but without communicating, they’ll never know. PLAN AHEAD, leave early, read all of the instructions given to you, be on time, and if something goes wrong, call right away to be honest and communicate!
Interview Mistake #7
The candidate don’t dress the part.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have”?
Nothing could be more true in an interview process. Take this process seriously, and show the interview panel that you care right away by making a strong first impression.
Pick your outfit out a day or two before your interview process. Make sure everything is clean, ironed, and FITS! Select something more conservative when in doubt, but you can check for any special instructions on attire from the hiring committee.
Lay that outfit out the night before, and if you’re changing later in the day for the interview, triple check you have everything you need before you leave the house.
Looking for some great ideas on interview outfits? Check out my outfit recommendations HERE:
These are 7 top mistakes candidates make in a job interview. Now you have the tools to prevent them!
There are so many things to think about as you prepare for an interview, and that’s why practice is critical! Prepare your introductory statement and some critical examples from your past that are worth talking about. Chances are, you will get the opportunity to address those examples through one of the interview questions asked of you.
Good luck out there!!
For more useful Career Tips, check out these articles:
HOW TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR RESUME FOR YOUR DREAM JOB
8 THINGS YOU MUST DO TO PREPARE FOR A PHONE INTERVIEW
HOW TO STAND OUT IN A PHONE INTERVIEW
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2 Comments
Grace Fredericks
This is so helpful! Job interviews can be very nerve wracking, it helps to be prepared.
Caitlin
Grace, I’m so glad it was helpful!!