7 Interview mistakes and how to avoid them
Interviewing at a new company, or even your existing company can be a daunting task. We all want the interview to go as well as possible. We’ve got some great resources on how to help you before your interview, such as this article on how to correctly research a company before an interview as well as some advice on best practices after a job interview.
Something we think is really important when prepping our candidates before an interview is ensuring they know some of the most common mistakes people make during an interview to ensure they can avoid them.
Here are 7 big mistakes to avoid to ensure your interview goes as smoothly as possible.
#1 Not being fully prepared
Start to prepare for your interview a few days before. Spend time researching the company, looking over their website and social channels. Make sure you know as much about them as possible so that you can answer any questions they might have, but also ask some interesting questions yourself.
Go over your own CV and think of some interview questions they might ask you – if you’re working with a staffing agency they’ll be able to give you some tips on what interview questions you might be getting.
Avoid last-minute prep, this will help you remain as relaxed as possible.
#2 Be confident but not arrogant
Being confident in yourself is great, but there’s a fine line between being confident in an interview and coming off as interview. A survey by CV library highlighted that 84.9% of interviewers describe overconfidence and arrogance as a turn-off during an interview.
It is important to highlight your achievements and abilities, but don’t walk into an interview like you’ve already got the job. The best way to do this is give figures, stats and facts from previous jobs – this shows why you’re a strong candidate and you have the facts to back it up.
#3 Avoid talking about salary
Unless your interviewer brings up the topic avoid talking about salary at a first stage interview. Save things such as salary, benefits, holiday allowance and perks for your second interview.
#4 Don’t criticize your old job
Sometimes an interviewer will ask why you’re thinking about leaving your old job and this is the time where a lot of people might be a little too honest and criticize their current job role or management team, which, can make an interviewer doubt your motivation and your attitude.
An easy way to answer this question is that you’re looking to be part of a new and exciting company, you want to go to a smaller/bigger company or that you’re simply looking for something that is more challenging and allows more growth.
#5 Stay focused
If an interview drags on a little it can be easy to start letting your attention slip but make every effort to stay engaged and focused during the whole interview. Remember to keep hydrated and make eye contact with your interviewer throughout the interview. Don’t let anything distract you either, such as your phone – ensure before you start your interview your phone is switched to silent mode and out sight. There is nothing worse that hearing your phone buzz throughout an interview.
#6 Don’t ramble
Keep your answers short and concise, an interview is a professional situation and you don’t want to ramble to talk too much about your personal life.
#7 Not asking any questions
At the end of your interview, you’ll almost always be asked if you have any questions and a lot of people say no – this is a huge missed opportunity to find out more about the company or the role you’re applying for.
Before your interview prepare some questions based on your role of the company, but try not to ask simple questions you already covered in your research.
Searching for a new job can be a difficult and daunting task, but once you’ve found the perfect job and company for you, it will completely change your life.
At Adapt Talent we are an eCommerce & AI Recruitment Staffing Agency. We have a range of job roles available, get in touch today to see if we can help place you in your perfect job.
