Interview Mistakes to Avoid

Hunting for a new job can be stressful and once you have managed to secure an interview for your dream role, the pressure of the interview process can begin to feel intense.

Presenting skills and experience in front of a panel of strangers can be an incredibly daunting experience. However, with thorough preparation, the process will feel far more manageable.

Be Punctual:

• A potential employer will want to know that a candidate’s timekeeping is reliable, so turning up late for an interview is a serious mistake.
• For online interviews, the meeting link should always be tested before the scheduled start time in case there are any software issues and the interviewer should be contacted in advance if there is a problem.

Appearance matters

• Even if the interview is taking place online, it makes sense to dress appropriately. The outfit should be planned in advance and clothes should be clean and ironed. Looking good can help build confidence, even in a virtual interview.

Reviewing your key points

• Candidates should not assume that the interviewer has committed their CV to memory as they are probably seeing multiple candidates. Candidates need to promote themselves effectively. Taking time to review their CV helps ensure that questions can be answered confidently, with clear references to relevant achievements.

Put in the effort

• A half-hearted CV or crumpled printouts of work should not be submitted. Instead, the CV should be tailored to the role being interviewed for so that relevant projects and responsibilities are highlighted. 
• The HR manager should not have to hunt through an old CV for the best or most appropriate work examples.

Keeping phones switched off

• Remember to switch phones off.
• Even if a phone is on silent, a forgotten alarm might suddenly go off in the middle of the interview, which will definitely come across as unprofessional and disrupt concentration.

Speak professionally

• Consider what is being said and how this may come across to the interview panel. 
• Before the interview, the candidate should review the job description and consider what makes the candidate the best person for the role. Knowing where the candidate fits in, will 
  boost confidence.

Body language

• Always sit upright.
• Looking around the room rather than at the interviewer, checking a watch and avoiding eye contact can all make a candidate seem distracted or even apprehensive, not the impression to give.

Not being engaged

• Sit up straight and show genuine engagement with the interviewer. Behaving in any other way is likely to come off as disrespectful and unprofessional, however show as much interest as possible.

Always be honest and truthful

• Do not lie or exaggerate when answering questions about past employment and achievements as it his highly probable that the truth will be discovered. 

Bringing up personal matters

• Do not bring up views on controversial topics or any personal issues, unless asked.
  This is not the time to bring up political views or family drama instead, keep things as focused as possible on the job.

Going off topic

• Listen carefully to the questions and try to stay on topic by keeping answers concise and relevant.

Being a gossip

• Do not talk about past employers or colleagues in a negative or gossipy way, it's likely to set alarm bells ringing with the prospective employer.
• Even if leaving feels urgent, avoid complaining about the last or current employer. The reason for applying for the role should always be a positive one.
  

Not discussing skills

• If work experience to date has come with its share of challenges, use this as an opportunity to positively discuss how those challenges were overcome.

Make eye contact

• Do not forget to smile and make eye contact.
• A big part of the interview will be finding out if the candidate and the role are a good fit for each other, therefore a friendly side will help the interviewers decide how likely the candidate is to gel with the rest of the team.
  

Not being confident

• Show confidence by maintaining eye contact while speaking to the interview panel.
• Smiling during the meeting and addressing answers directly to the person who asked the question (if interviewed by a panel) will show friendliness and also suggest that the candidate is relaxed and at ease.

Provide specific examples

• Do not use vague and meaningless phrases such as "a good team player" and "a people person."
• Instead, provide specific examples of working as part of a team or developing people managed in the past.

Anisha Naidoo | Human Resources Manager