There are many reasons why you might end up not being chosen for a position after you’ve completed your interview. Some of them may be completely out of your control. There are however several things within your control that are completely avoidable and can cause you to mess up your job interview.
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Arriving late.
This will immediately leave a bad impression. Make sure you’ve timed out your commute ahead of time, and plan to leave a little early. If you get there too early, wait in your car or go grab a cup of coffee, and walk into the location of your interview about 10-15 minutes prior to your appointment time unless asked specifically to come in earlier.
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Inappropriately dressed.
It’s always a good idea to dress to impress for the interview. Unless the company has given specific directions regarding dress code, plan to wear dress style clothes to your interview. Avoid wearing something too casual, offensive, wrinkled clothes or other style of clothing that may come across as unprofessional or sloppy.
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Unfamiliar with your own CV/Resume content.
If you’ve applied for a variety of jobs, chances are that you’ve customized your application for different positions. Read not only the job description again carefully but also your own resume that you sent to that specific employer so you’re not referring to things you may have taken out, or unsure when asked about specific items you included on your resume.
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Only skimmed through the job description and requirements.
Read through the job description carefully so you can anticipate some of the skills and requirements you’ll be asked about in the interview. You’ll want to be prepared to highlight your strengths as well as prepared to talk about any areas where you’re not as skilled or experienced. It will also help you prepare questions of your own and show the interviewer you’ve taken the time to prepare, given the job role some thought and that you’re genuinely interested.
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Haven’t thoroughly researched ALL aspects and angles of the company.
As much as possible, learn everything you can about the company. Visit every page on their website, all social media sites, watch their videos on YouTube and ask friends and co-workers who might be familiar with the company if they can give you any additional insight. Having an in depth knowledge of the company ahead of time will come across as very impressive whereas being caught off guard by the interviewer about some basic information about the company can be rather awkward.
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Over-caffeinated.
If you need a cup of coffee to get your energy levels up, by all means, go for it. However, don’t come in all hyper from having too much coffee in the morning. It will make it harder for you to focus and will lead to a bad impression.
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Haven’t switched your cell phone off.
Just like at the movies, when it’s time for your interview, turn your phone off or put it on silent. You’ll want as few interruptions as possible during your interview.
Why is it important NOT to make these mistakes?
Because…
You will have messed it up, before they even ask you a single question!
The solution?
Come to your interview prepared, do your best, and if you still don’t get the position, at least you know it was not because of something you could have easily avoided.
Working with iMPact
Before we start working with a client, we will research them, have in-depth conversations with their hiring team and visit their facilities to get to know them, what makes a candidate successful there and their company culture. To connect with a recruiter and find out about our currently available opportunities in Information Technology, Accounting/Finance, Engineering and Business Administration/Process, please visit our job board. Or, submit your resume here for consideration to connect with one of our experienced recruiters in either our Grand Rapids, MI or Tampa, FL location.
