Beyond the basic preparation
So you have the basics down. You’ve studied the company’s website, you have a few interview examples, and you already planned what you’ll wear to the job interview. Do you know the most common interview mistakes?
As someone who interviews people on a regular basis, I see candidates who are otherwise prepared make several common interview mistakes.
Mistakes that cost them the job.
So to help you stand out in your next interview, I compiled my top 5 common interview mistakes. Avoid these and you can feel more confident as you wait for your job offer!
5 Common Interview Mistakes
Mistake #1: Show a lack of self-awareness
This one is huge. Every hiring manager wants to hire someone that is self aware. You should be aware of your own strengths and development areas. Aware of how much you’re speaking vs. listening in the interview. Aware of verbal and visual cues.
It’s easy to fall into some of these self-awareness traps. Fortunately, if you’re intentional, it’s easy to avoid them as well.
Here are a few examples of things you want to avoid in an interview so you can show the hiring manager that you really are self-aware.
- Talk too much. Keep your responses to a reasonable length. Keep in mind how much small talk you make at the beginning of the interview, too. Some interviewers just want to get down to business, others actually want to chat. Watch for verbal and visual cues so you know which one your interviewer wants.
- Ask the interviewer to repeat most questions. While you may need to have 1-2 questions repeated for clarity or to give you some time to think, you shouldn’t ask for most questions to be repeated. Eventually, it comes across either an inability to listen, retain information, or simply as a stalling tactic. Either way – it’s not the impression you want.
- Give strengths as weaknesses. If you realize you’re channeling your best Michael Scott from the TV show ‘The Office”, you’re hurting your chances at the job. If you’re asked to describe a development area or a weakness, be real and straightforward. Share something you’re working on to improve – it shows self-awareness, coachability, and willingness to get better. Don’t say things like “I work too hard “ or “I’m too much of a perfectionist” or “I’m too good looking.” The hiring manager may completely dismiss you as a candidate if you can’t answer this question honestly.
Mistake #2: Talk about your experience and background without tailoring it to the needs of the interviewer
This one is a little more tricky, but super important if you want the job offer.
A lot of job candidates will feel prepared because they have a lot of examples to provide in the interview. This is a start, but an irrelevant example is as bad as no example.
Often I hear some really interesting stories and examples of work a candidate has done. Unfortunately, a lot of those same stories either didn’t answer my question or don’t demonstrate the skill sets I’m looking for.
If you think you’ll get asked behavioral interview questions, check out my article “How to Prepare for Behavioral Interview Questions” to get fully equipped.
Make sure you know the 3-4 primary skills or experiences the hiring manager is looking for, then tailor your examples and discussion to those needs.
If you know they’re looking for someone who is skilled in the ability to influence and persuade others, you better not leave that room without sharing how great you are at influencing and persuading others.
Don’t wait for the interviewers to ask the exact, perfect question to set you up to answer it, either. Answer their questions, but add in what you know they’re looking for. Take advantage of the opportunity and take control of the interview here!
Mistake #3: Wait to prepare until you have an interview
This one is just an absolutely fixable problem. But very few do it. I really don’t know why.
As soon as you know you may interview for a job one day (i.e. that’s probably all the time for most of you!) start preparing.
I’ve written another article on the importance of always be preparing for an interview. Check it out to see the steps to take to keep you ready at a moments notice.
The last thing you want is to try to cram the night before an interview. Trust me, it won’t be your best work. It’s super hard to remember all the great things you’ve done, all the great work you’ve accomplished while you’re also stressing over what to wear, how to get to the interview, and how many copies of your resume you should bring.
Do yourself and simply avoid this mistake. Equip yourself along the way. Future you will thank you.
Mistake #4: Waste the opportunity to nail the “Tell me about yourself” question
I’ve written plenty about this topic in my article “4 Simple Strategies to Confidently Answer ‘Tell Me About Yourself‘, so please read it if you haven’t.
Since you know this question is coming, this is your best chance to control what happens in the interview. You can completely prepare, so make it stellar.
Don’t ramble forever and don’t tell them everything about you. Sell yourself. And try to do it in less than 2 1/2 minutes.
Share your passion for the role and how your experiences and skills are directly tied to what they’re looking for. It’s as simple as that.
Mistake #5: Ask terrible (or no) questions at the end of the interview
Yikes. I’ve heard some bad questions. I’ve also been surprised how often I hear “No, I don’t think I have any questions.”
This is a really great way to stand out from your competition. If you want to know why this is such a great way to differentiate yourself or to see my best tips for transforming your questions and standing out, check out my post “How to Easily Transform Your Job Interview Questions.”
The bottom line is that you need to be intentional about using that time. Before you even get an interview, you know they’re going to give you time to ask questions. And you get to control that time since you are the one asking the questions!
Don’t waste the opportunity. You can do this by reframing your thinking.
View this question time as a chance to tell them more about yourself, show them the real you through conversation, and engage with the interviewer.
One final note here: please avoid asking a lay-up question like “What is the job like?” or “What are you looking for in a candidate for this role?” These don’t engage the hiring manager in dialogue.
If you ask one of these, I guarantee the hiring manager is thinking “How did you just interview for this job if you don’t know the answer to those questions?”
Follow the process I shared in the article mentioned above. You won’t regret it.
Conclusion
There are many mistakes candidates make preparing for and during the interview itself. But these were the top 5 common interview mistakes I see candidates that significantly impact their chances at getting an offer. The good news is that they’re all easily avoidable. To recap, here they are at a glance:
- Show a lack of self-awareness
- Talk about your experience and background without tailoring it to the needs of the interviewer
- Wait to prepare until you have an interview
- Waste the opportunity to nail the “Tell me about yourself” question
- Ask terrible (or no) questions at the end of the interview
Follow the steps above and you can confidently set yourself up to stand out from those who make some of these avoidable common mistakes.
Discussion question
I’d love to hear from you! Join the conversation with the Equipped Community – we’re in this together! In the comments section below, share your thoughts on the following question.
What’s one mistake you’ve made in an interview that you’d like to share? What have you learned along the way?
