First impressions are vital. This point can never be emphasized enough especially when you are facing an interview at an organization you are keen to join. Yet, time and again, candidates continue to make the same mistakes when appearing for interviews.
Here are the top five mistakes interviewees make. If you avoid them you will significantly improve your chances of landing that job you really want.
1. Going Unprepared
The least that you can do before appearing for an interview is to research the company. If not, your ignorance will show. The potential employer will assume that if you haven’t put any effort into getting to know the company and the jobs for the interview stage, it’s unlikely that you will deliver the goods after getting the job. Read the ‘about us’ section of a company’s website for background information about the organization. Browse their website to gain an overview of the business. There are plenty of other online resources such as social media and news portals which can give you quick insights into the company and also their major competitors.
2. Being Inappropriately Attired
An interview is not the time or the place to demonstrate your evil-may-care attitude. While dressing for an interview, err on the side of being formal. If the organization believes in casual dressing you can always adjust to that after you have landed the job.
3. Communicating Poorly
Smile, shake hands, exchange greetings, make eye contact, exude confidence, engage the person you are speaking with. Avoid speaking in monosyllables. Provide enough information for the interviewer to work with. At the same time, avoid rambling unnecessarily. The interviewer wants to understand the skills you bring to the table. Put this across as succinctly as possible.
4. Maligning Past Employers
No matter how bad your past experiences might have been, it is never a good idea to say negative things about any of your employers at an interview. Always put a positive spin on your experiences. No company wants to hire candidates who have a negative attitude to begin with.
5. Not Being Ready With Answers For Standard Questions
You should be able to confidently speak about why you are interested in the position. If you don’t know the answer you need to introspect about why you need the job. You should know everything you have written in your resume and be able to defend, with examples, each qualification or skill you have included. Try and align your skills and strengths with the requirements for the position.
Call Winters Technical Staffing, the leading recruitment agency at 1-877-495-7422 or contact us online and we will be pleased to help you prepare for your interviews.