The same common mistakes crop up time and time again at interview. Too many jobseekers miss out on their dream job because of a small number of easily avoided blunders.

Some of the mistakes that people make at interview are very obvious and others are more subtle. The CV Centre has conducted a comprehensive survey to derive a ‘Top 15’ and, in this chapter, I will list these 15 most common interview mistakes. As always, forewarned is forearmed.

1. Not knowing enough about the job you’re applying for

The key to preventing pre-interview jitters is to prepare yourself thoroughly. We fear what we don’t know and what we can’t control, yet there is so much you can do to plan and prepare for your interview – and the first item on your list should be to thoroughly research the job in question.

Not knowing the ins and outs of a job is among the worst blunders you can make in an interview – as is failing to demonstrate to the interviewer how you meet the requirements for the job.

If you are to be able to convince a recruiter that you are right for the role then you obviously need to first get clear in your own mind why you are right for the role – and you can’t do this unless you have properly researched and understood what it will involve.

2. Not knowing enough about the organisation you’re applying to

A number of popular interview questions are designed to probe and assess your knowledge of the organisation to which you are applying. An interviewer will expect you to have done your homework. If you’re unprepared and unable to adequately answer these questions then it’s going to be a big, black mark on your application.

Just as a lack of knowledge of the job in question will count against you, a lack of knowledge of the organisation will betray a lack of effort on your part. How can they be sure you really want this job – and that you’re really the right candidate for the job – if you know so little about their organisation?

3. Arriving late

The importance of making appropriate travel arrangements to get to your interview may seem obvious. However, this is frequently a problem for candidates. Being late for an interview – even by only a few minutes – is a very common mistake but it will immediately count against you.

It’s also important to arrive early in terms of allowing yourself time to relax and compose yourself.

4. Lacking enthusiasm

Whilst there’s obviously a fine balance here, enthusiasm in an interview is essential – just don’t overdo it. Recruiters often find that the person they are interviewing lacks enthusiasm – and this will naturally count against you. Sometimes it might just be due to nerves and shyness – but don’t let this happen to you. Be enthusiastic – and show it.

Confident people inspire confidence in others – if you appear confident that you are able to do the job, the employer is likely to be more inclined to believe that you can – and showing a lack of enthusiasm is generally fatal to your chances of success.

5. Arrogance

Whilst confidence is critical to a successful interview, it is naturally important not to go to the other extreme and appear overconfident or arrogant – which is a surprisingly common mistake. You simply need to appreciate what your strengths are and to value yourself accordingly.

6. Dressing inappropriately

Presentation, presentation, presentation.

The way you physically present yourself will make an impression on an interviewer before you even have a chance to open your mouth.

Present yourself professionally and the interviewer will see you as a professional – but the opposite also applies. Never forget that you are marketing yourself – and the way you present yourself can have an impact on the interviewer almost as powerful as what you actually have to say for yourself.

Presentation can make all the difference between success and failure. Image is everything.

7. Poor body language

Recruiters are trained to make informed assessments of candidates, not only based on how they communicate verbally but on how they communicate physically.

Even if your interviewer has received no formal training, they are going to be inherently sensitive to certain nuances of body language – just like the rest of us. It’s instinctive.

The importance of body language as a factor in the decision-making process should not be underestimated. Recruiters regularly complain about candidates’ poor body language – limp handshakes, lack of eye contact, slouching and failing to smile.

8. Poor first impressions

First impressions are extremely important. Interviewers can reach a decision about a candidate very quickly. Make a poor first impression and you might not be able to recover from it. How quickly do you sum up someone you’ve just met? It’s probably less than a couple of minutes.

Remember: you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Too many candidates turn up reeking of smoke or garlic – or worse.

9. Answering the wrong question

It’s actually surprisingly easy for your thoughts to stray elsewhere and for you to fail to properly listen to a question. You’re in a stressful situation and you have a lot on your mind; it’s perfectly possible to get distracted.

Interviewers often have to deal with candidates going off at a tangent and giving the answer to a totally different question from the one that was asked.

Listen – and engage your brain before opening your mouth.

I talk more about the basic principles of handling interview questions in Chapter 1: Essential principles.

10. Failing to sell yourself effectively

Far too many candidates fail to sell themselves effectively at interview – giving boring, monosyllabic answers unsupported by any real-life examples.

It’s essential for you to think through and create your own answers to potential questions. Wherever possible, try to integrate real-life examples into your answers rather than just speaking hypothetically. Flagging up specific, relevant examples from your own experience is an ideal way of reinforcing your points in the interviewer’s mind.

More about this in Chapter 1: Essential principles.

11. Being a parrot

So many candidates at interview make the mistake of sounding as if they’re reciting from some old-fashioned book on interview technique with a title like 1001 Interview Questions.

Make sure you don’t fall into this trap yourself. This is really important. There are no universally ‘right’ answers to interview questions – just answers that are right for you.

And even if you have prepared and memorised your own answers, you should be careful to make sure that your delivery is natural and doesn’t come across as rehearsed.

This important topic is discussed in greater detail in Chapter 1: Essential principles.

12. Lying

Never lie at interview or say something that you cannot substantiate.

For many candidates their troubles start even before they’ve been invited for the interview because a large percentage of people seem to think it’s permissible to tell a few small porkies when writing their CV. Many think it’s acceptable because ‘everyone else does it’ – and it is a fact that many prospective employers do not check an applicant’s information as thoroughly as they perhaps should.

However, I would always strongly caution anyone against telling anything but the truth on their CV. You can easily come unstuck during an interview as a result.

For a longer discussion on this topic, please refer back to Chapter 1: Essential principles.

13. Being critical of others

Having problems with the boss is the top reason people give (in surveys) for changing jobs. However, you should never say anything negative about either a current or a previous employer.

Criticising your current employer is considered one of the top mistakes you can make at interview and will most likely cost you the job regardless of whether or not your criticism is justified.

Likewise, you should avoid criticising current or former colleagues.

There are a number of different interview questions you need to look out for on this front:

Question 3 in Chapter 2: The top 10 interview questions;

Questions 14, 26 and 27 in Chapter 3: Fifty more classic questions: be prepared;

Questions 5 and 10 in Chapter 4: The top 25 tough questions: taking the heat.

14. Failing to ask your own questions

As I mentioned in Chapter 6, interviews are a two-way process. So make sure you have your own questions ready for the end of the interview. You’re almost certain to be asked: ‘Do you have any questions for me/us?’ Take this as another opportunity to demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm. Fail to take it and you risk undoing all the good work you’ve done – check out the Statistic box in Chapter 6 to see what happens to such candidates.

15. Prematurely talking money

As I said earlier, avoid asking questions about pay and holidays unless the interviewer brings up these topics. If you raise them, you’ll be perceived as focusing on what you’re expecting from the employer rather than what you’re offering them. Better to leave these subjects for later discussions.

Of course, the interviewer may ask you questions about pay and, if you’d like advice on how to handle this, then take a look at Questions 47 and 48 in Chapter 3: Fifty more classic questions: be prepared.

16. Not following up after the interview

Yes, I know I said this chapter would cover the 15 most common interview mistakes – but everyone loves a bonus, don’t they?

So here’s a 16th mistake for you: Not following up after the interview. Big mistake. But help is at hand...

Keeping track of your interviews

We’ve put together a spreadsheet for you to help you keep track of the interviews you attend – who with, what date, etc. Not only that, but it’ll let you keep track of the CVs you have sent out as well.

This tracking tool will help you to know exactly whether and when to follow up on an application and, quite simply, it will prevent you from becoming very confused. Much better to keep yourself organised – and this Excel spreadsheet will enable you to do just that. To download your free copy, please visit: www.ineedacv.co.uk/tracker.

The Interview Book

If you would like to learn more about interview technique in general, above and beyond just how to handle interview questions, then please take a look at my comprehensive book on the subject, The Interview Book. You can place your order for a copy via the following page on our website:

www.ineedacv.co.uk/theinterviewbook

Conclusion

Successfully passing an interview is not rocket science. Most of what I have outlined is reasonably simple to take on board and it’s just a matter of putting in the necessary time and effort.

I do hope you have found The Interview Question & Answer Book useful. Don’t forget to visit The CV Centre’s online forum to let us know how you get on:

www.ineedacv.co.uk/forum

You will also have the opportunity to make contact with me and my team directly.

GOOD LUCK!