You’ve completed your interview preparation, you’ve been practicing for the interview and now the day has finally arrived. Before you head off to nail the interview, take the time to educate yourself on the top ten interview mistakes to avoid.
- While you may feel that it is extremely important to get that fantasy football trade update, your potential employer may not feel the same way.
10) Never sit down at the interview table first, unless you have been instructed to do so. By doing this, it shows that you are assumptive and not inclined to follow direction! You also could end up picking the broken chair, and wind up on the floor. It is tough to be taken seriously from a horizontal position.
9) DO NOT, under any circumstances, call the interviewer the wrong name, even if it is your sixth interview of the week. Of all the interview mistakes one could make, this is a big one! If under pressure you should forget, refer to the interviewers’ business card, if they provided you with one. Randy would not appreciate being called “Rodney”; it certainly shows “no respect at all”.
Whether a male or female interviewer, you must look them in the eye and give a firm handshake. A “flimsy” handshake suggests lack of confidence, and makes one look “worthless and weak. Now drop and give me twenty”!
7) Even if it is a blistering 100 degrees outside, bringing a drink into an interview is heavily frowned upon. Slurping like a thirsty camel is not going to get you that second interview! It may also be an indicator that the best place to find you is going to be the water cooler. This blunder is another of the classic interview mistakes, bad manners, and a distraction all rolled into one!
6) Never try to disguise the fact that you do not have an answer to a question. If you do not have a good answer, suggest that “you will have to get back to them on that one” and ask permission to call the interviewer later. Prepare ahead of time by reading our top 10 common interview questions and answers. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “it is better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt”. Enough said.
5) Be sure to know the exact name of the person you are going to be interviewing with. If in doubt, call ahead of time, and ask the receptionist how the persons’ name is spelled and\or pronounced. Also, in the event of a “unisex” name like Chris or Sandy, be sure to find out the interviewers’ gender ahead of time. Mr. Chris Miller is not going to be amused when you tell the receptionist you are there to see a woman named “Chris Milder”.
4) If you need glasses to read, do not forget to bring them to the interview. You may need to review documents or want to take notes, and you don’t want to be squinting like Robert DiNiro in “Goodfellas”! You may also end up checking the “yes” box and joining the office softball team by mistake.
3) Be sure to check the dress code with your potential employer before the interview. If you cannot verify the dress code, dress as if you are the President or owner of the company. Remember, though, this rule probably does not apply at the surfboard training academy or Bobs’ Lawn Care Service. One of these interview mistakes is a classic! Never be “outdressed” by the interviewer or potential supervisor! Read our interview dress guide before the interview.
2) Make absolutely certain that your cell phone, pager, or beeper is either turned off, or set to vibrate before entering the interview. It is the ultimate irony that the interviewer can take calls and put YOU on hold, but never, ever let your devices interfere with the interview. This crucial interview mistake says that you are not giving the interviewer your undivided attention.
1) Never make the mistake of not researching the company for which you are going to interview. Assuming may not be enough to prepare you for the unexpected! There was once a young man who had an interview with a company called “Buffalo Coke”, who was very surprised by the fact that his potential employer had nothing to do with soft drinks, and everything to do with industrial smelting, which of course he had no knowledge of. The old adage is true, never assume! Of all the interview mistakes one could make, this is probably the most costly.