The Most Common Mistakes Made by Candidates During Job Interviews

If you are looking for a job, interviews are one of those meetings that undoubtedly evoke a whole range of emotions in you. From the excitement that you are having the interview for the dream job to stress, doubts or even anticipating the future: “How will I do?”, “Will I be able to show off my best assets?” and finally – “What if I don’t get the job?”. When facing such strong emotions, it is sometimes more than difficult to keep a cool head and prevent possible mistakes which may be crucial for the outcome of the whole job interview. Staying calm, thoroughly preparing yourself for the interview and taking into consideration any probable blunders is probably the best thing that you can do.

Exemplary mistakes during a job interview

The undermentioned list of mistakes that can be made during a job interview may seem obvious at first glance, nevertheless, you will be surprised when you realize how many details are found within the scope of the indicated blunders. In this entry we will describe even the slightest slips that should be avoided.

>h3>Being untimely

You have probably known it for a long time that coming late for a job interview is out of the question. But have you ever wondered what does it mean to come too early, for example, an hour or half an hour before the appointment? Will it be to your advantage? Not necessarily. It may rather indicate that you are overzealous, desperate and that you want this job very badly. Why is it problematic to come too early? Think about receptionists or recruiters who may not have a suitable place for you to wait, besides, you could also meet your rival candidates and that would be slightly awkward.

Being unprepared

By being unprepared we do not necessarily mean not being knowledgeable enough when it comes to the company and the position that you are applying for – if you have managed to get to the job interview, you have probably been successful at the preliminary selection of candidates. What we mean is being unprepared when it comes to possible questions resulting from the information included in your CV (check out our article on how to write an outstanding CV). On the Internet you can find numerous entries such as “100 questions most frequently asked during a job interview”. Although it may seem out-of-date, many recruiters still ask these questions so remember to prepare answers in advance, thanks to that you will not be startled by an inquiry to “prove that you are creative”.

Inappropriate attitude during a job interview

It is not about slouching or feeling too comfortably on a chair – it is about the way you talk to others and about others. Complaining about your previous employers or colleagues makes you look rather bad. For prospective employers, strong criticism of a previous company is a signal that in some time you will probably talk about their business in the same way. It is definitely better to outline the assets of your previous job and highlight what you are expecting from the position you are applying for.

What to do after making a blunder?

We are only humans and it is natural that mistakes and blunders happen, especially during such stressful meetings as job interviews. If you realize that you have done something inappropriate during the appointment, apologize, but do not be too unduly embarrassed. Being able to admit when you are wrong will work in your favor.

To summarize
We have listed a few not-so-obvious mistakes that can be made during a job interview. Avoid them and you will undoubtedly outperform your rival candidates. Good luck!