Job interviews are ‘make or break’ opportunities, you will not get another chance if you mess up your first impression. While you may not be able to guarantee a positive outcome for your interview fully but the least you can do is to avoid common interview mistakes.
You should start interview preparation at least 2-3 months before your campus placements so that you are ready for them.
Here are the worst interview mistakes that many candidates make and you should remember them to avoid making them yourself –
- Coming in late – You would think no one would make silly interview mistakes like this! But, many candidates fail to prepare ahead for things like traffic and mess up on details of the venue or timing. They end up coming in late, and their first introduction starts from saying sorry.
- Inappropriate dressing – Every interview preparation advice starts with dressing properly, yet candidates make this mistake often. They either overdress or under dress for the occasion. Make sure your clothes are neat, well-pressed and are professional formal clothes. Even if it’s a startup interview, make sure you are dressed in formals.
- No research about the company – One of the biggest interview mistakes you can make is not to be prepared on questions about the company or the role that you are interviewing for. That’s just basic!
- Not listening properly – You may be very keen to prove your point or put forth your case, and in this endeavor, you might miss out on what the interview really asks. Its one of those interview mistakes that will prove costly as the recruiter will decide that you are not a good listener and you will either come off as arrogant or desperate. You can use a tool like Mock AI to prepare yourself for such cases; and more.
- Having nervous tics – Tics are physical and repetitive habits that a person picks up over a period. For instance, when you are nervous, you may tap your leg, shake it or crunch your fingers. All these are visible signs of nervousness and tend to be the worst interview mistakes you can make because they tell the interviewer that you are not confident! MockAI can help you notice all such tics and behavioral patterns which may go against you during the interview.
- Bad body language – Your body speaks in various ways you don’t even know, and often no tells you about these things. The worst interview mistakes are projecting lousy body language, for example, you may tend to slouch and sit, or not maintain eye contact, all these things are not good signs to a recruiter. Using a tool like Mock AI help you record your interview and gives a report on what can be improved in your body language, facial expression, and voice modulation.
- Discussing salary too soon – One of the biggest interview mistakes that candidates do is to ask about salary in the first interview. You can ask your salary details to the HR who calls you up for the screening interview or discuss it in the second or third interview or discuss it in the first interview only if the interviewer asks you.
- Not sure about what’s in your resume – Nothing can rank in the worst interview mistakes more than the fact that you don’t know what you have written in your resume! This will happen if you haven’t read the resume you provided to the interviewer. Often, you may send out the wrong resume or one that isn’t updated. Ensure that you send in the correct resume and have read it before the interview.
Also Read: 5 Things That Recruiters Absolutely Hate In A Job Resume
These are just some of the worst interview mistakes and something that you should never do in your future job interviews.
Some of these, like improving your body language and learning to manage stress to avoid nervousness, needs to be prepared well in advance.
Have you made any terrible interview mistakes? You can avoid them and learn more interview preparation tips by following our blog here.
