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10 job interview mistakes you need to avoid

10 job interview mistakes you need to avoid, with MoneyBites
Avoid these common job interview mistakes to help you shine on interview day.

Money Bite-Size Read:

  • A job interview is part of the employment process.
  • It’s an opportunity to show why you should get a role you applied for.
  • Here’s 10 job interview mistakes you need to avoid when you’re going to interviews.

The MoneyBites Take:

Avoid these common job interview mistakes to help you get the job you want.

 

What’s the silliest thing you’ve said in a job interview?

It’s easy to say silly things when you’re under pressure. And there’s no pressure quite like a job interview. Unfortunately, this awkward exchange is an inevitable part of the employment process to demonstrate why you should get a role you applied for. It’s not a perfect process, and job interviews have long been considered subjective and criticised for lacking structure and consistency.

It’s therefore essential to prepare ahead for job interviews.

You typically arrive at the interview with a sense of urgency. An employer only has a specific window of time to see you, giving you limited time to showcase your skills and ask crucial questions of a potential future employer. We all make mistakes under this time pressure, but here’s some you’ll want to dodge in your next interview.

 

Here’s 10 common job interview mistakes to avoid:

 

1. Arriving unprepared

The worst interviews are when you are not confident in or know little about the company or the role you applied for. Avoid this by researching the job position before the interview.

 

2. Arriving late

Most interviews are scheduled for a specific time, with multiple candidates sometimes being interviewed. Make sure you are there for the start time to show you respect their time.

 

3. Wearing uncomfortable clothes

A common job interview mistake is wearing clothes you are uncomfortable in. You can ace your next interview by planning your outfit beforehand, ensuring you feel confident in what you’re wearing.

 

4. Appearing uninterested

Arriving at an interview tired or with low energy might make it seem like you’re not invested in the discussion. Make sure you get a good night of sleep and show suitable enthusiasm for the company’s work and the role you’ve applied for.

 

5. Don’t practice answering questions

The worst job interviews are where you get stuck or ramble answers to basic interview questions. A great job interview tip is to run through interview practice questions beforehand and try the STAR method to help structure your response.

 

6. Don’t listen to the interviewer

One of the most common mistakes is to ignore the interviewer as a conversation participant. Remember that a job interview is a conversation between a candidate and an employer, so talking and active listening are equally important.

 

7. Ignore your value to them

We tend to think of jobs in terms of salary, benefits and what the job can do for us. Instead, approach the job interview as an opportunity to show your value to the company and why they should hire you.

 

8. Have no questions for the company

A job interview mistake I keep seeing is when candidates have no questions at the end for their potential employer. The time is there for you to ask questions, so make sure you use the time to find out more about what it’s like to work there.

 

9. Don’t research the company values

If you ignore the company values, you’re setting yourself up to end up in a job you hate. Take the time to look at a company website to identify the values and be able to reference them if needed.

 

10. Following up repeatedly

It’s a good idea to follow up, but repeatedly contacting the interviewer post-interview could be seen as aggressive. If you want to follow up, do so politely once and then wait for them to reply.

Job interviews are something we can all get better at over time.

Take it as an opportunity to showcase your skills and find out more about a potential employer. Preparing beforehand means you’re more likely to avoid these job interview mistakes and shine on the day.

Written by Kate Crowhurst

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