You’ve worked with your specialist recruitment agency to find the job of your dreams, you’ve worked on your CV to the point of perfection, and you’ve bought the perfect outfit for the interview. All you need to do now is impress at the interview, and it’s all systems go.
Unfortunately, there’s plenty of things that can quickly go wrong when it comes time to sit in front of that hiring manager and start answering questions about your skills, your expectations, and your future.
In fact, many of the hurdles that candidates face when they come to an interview have nothing to do with their CV, and everything to do with a lack of preparation and a predisposition to social blunders.
When you meet with a hiring manager, the person you speak to will be relating your answers to how you might into the role in question and your organisation.
With that in mind, here are eight errors that can easily happen; though not to you after reading this post.
Interview Mistake 1: Failing to Do Your Homework
Don’t let yourself get stumped by the question: “How much do you know about this company?” Even if your interviewer doesn’t ask you about the business in question, showing that you know the business and what it does can be an excellent way to set yourself apart from the crowd.
Learn as much as you can about their organisation and specific market sector before the interview, from its history, to what special features the company might be looking for in a new employee. If you can’t find details online, you can always speak to your recruitment specialist for extra help.
Interview Mistake 2: Using a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Different companies are looking for different things from their job candidates. In other words, everything from your presentation, to your CV should change according to the role you’re applying for. Don’t treat your interviewer like he or she is a one in a line of potential employers.
Remember that 71% of hiring managers prefer reading a CV that’s been customised for the job, and you can adjust your answers to interview questions accordingly too. Try drawing attention to specific skills, or tasks that you’ve completed in the past that are specifically relevant to the role in question.
Interview Mistake 3: Being Late
It doesn’t matter how great your excuse is, turning up to an interview even a couple of minutes late is a sign that you don’t respect the company or the schedule of your hiring manager. A late arrival also gives the impression that you don’t know how to manage your time, which is a huge problem when you’re trying to impress your new employer. Make sure you turn up at least 10 or 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
Interview Mistake 4: Not Paying Attention
Even if anxiety about your impending interview has kept you up all night, it’s important to make sure you don’t let yourself zone out when speaking to the hiring manager. Make sure you’re alert, well-rested and focused.
Getting distracted, or allowing your mind to drift elsewhere during an interview makes it seem like you don’t really care about the job. Additionally, it will convince your employer that you won’t be able to stay focused on a task when you’re at work.
Interview Mistake 5: Complaining about Previous Employers
There are plenty of reasons why someone might leave their old career to seek out a new and improved job. However, if you left because you hated your boss or the way that the company treated its employees, then keep those feelings to yourself.
Bad-mouthing past employees seems petty, and it’s a sign to your potential employer that you might not have the right attitude for their company. If the interviewing manager asks you why you left your last position, take the high road and say that it was simply time for you to move on.
Interview Mistake 6: Showing the Wrong Body Language
We’re all guilty of slouching, fidgeting, and generally displaying bad body language from time to time, but it’s crucial that you don’t allow it to happen during a job interview. Body posture goes a long way towards showing an applicant’s personality. For instance, fidgeting shows a lack of interest, while slumping can indicate boredom and lack of confidence.
Make sure that you sit up straight, keep your arms at your sides, and focus your attention on your interviewer.
Interview Mistake 7: Talking Too Much
You should be prepared to answer any question your interviewer asks, but that doesn’t mean you should never stop talking. It’s common for people to feel like they need to fill the silence when they’re nervous, but that could work against you in a job interview.
Make sure that you answer questions clearly, and concisely, drawing attention to evidence of your past experiences and skills. However, don’t go off on a tangent, stay focused on giving the responses your interviewer needs.
Interview Mistake 8: Being Fuzzy With The Facts
Finally, make sure that you know exactly what it says on your CV. If you’ve made any claims, be prepared to back them up with evidence in the form of numbers, stories, and statistics. The last thing you want is for your interviewer to think that you’ve fudged the facts on your CV, simply because you get flustered and you can’t remember which year you graduated from University or exactly what years you worked for a previous employer.
Best regards,
Sigma Recruitment
We are ‘South Wales Recruitment Specialists’ based in Cardiff, Wales.
We offer a full range of permanent recruitment solutions to many of South Wales’ and the South Wests’ leading manufacturing, technical, automotive and life science organisations. This includes companies in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Port Talbot, Bridgend and the surrounding areas in South Wales.
Sigma Recruitment has one of the largest and most comprehensive recruitment candidate databases in the area. To get in touch with our team call us now on 02920 450 100. Alternatively, contact us here.
