Going for a job interview brings several emotions to our minds. While we are tensed and stressed out about the interview, on the other hand, our minds flood with excitement and anticipation of what is to come. In such a strenuous situation, we might end up making mistakes unintentionally. And in today’s competitive market, a small mistake might snatch away our job offer because there will always be someone who will take care of what we didn’t. Why leave potholes when we can prepare beforehand and avoid mistakes?
Here are some of the common mistakes to keep in mind to make ourselves the perfect candidate for the interview:
- Do not attend the interview without doing proper research.
It is always advisable to do your KYC or Know Your Company right. Find out about the company you are interviewing: what it does, who are its top position holders, its establishment year and its location, and so on. Look at the job role you are interviewing for, as the interviewers might ask you about all of these. I am sure you wouldn’t want to be short of words in that situation.
- Do not show up late.
Late comers often create a negative impression about themselves on the mind of the interviewers. Show up early in the interview, whether it’s online or offline. Be on time and avoid the last-minute rush.
- Do not leave your formals behind.
While attending an interview, the required documents and formals should be your best friends. Never show up in an interview in casual. Adopt a clean and ironed formal dressing to look the best for your interview.
- Avoid substandard body language.
Your body language creates an effective first impression on the mind of the interviewers. I’m sure you wouldn’t want the impression to be negative. Have a gentle smile, sit straight, appear confident, and maintain proper eye contact to steal the show in the interview.
- Do not speak against your past employer.
Refrain from speaking negatively against anyone in an interview. The interviewers want to have a view of how you look at things. If they figure out that you are more of a negative person, things might turn against you. You might not be happy with your previous employer, but don’t bring it to the table during an interview. Try to show them your positive side and give them instances where you handled a situation positively even though you were in an adverse condition during your term with the previous employer.
- Being too much argumentative about salary.
Honestly, salary is one of the driving factors why you are sitting in an interview. You might feel that you deserve more or that your fellows are being paid more for the same position. If you want to negotiate, be very gentle and extra careful while discussing. The best-case scenario is to not deal with salary negotiation in the interview. Try to find the compensation beforehand and sit in the interview only if it suits you. Most companies have some budget, and the pay calculations take place keeping in mind the upper limit of the budget. In such cases, companies cannot increase the compensation, and asking for a hike in it will only tarnish your image in front of the interviewers.
These are some of the mistakes that candidates make in a job interview. Finally, another most common mistake is not following up after an interview. After the interview is over, send a follow-up mail to the interviewers. Thank them for their time and express your desire to listen to them. In this way, you can make a lasting impression in the mind of the interviewers and highlight yourself from the rest of the candidates.
