The job interview can be a stressful process. This is especially true
for those who are going after a competitive position. Your nonverbal
communication combined with the answers you give during the interview will
determine if you are hired.
While many articles on HR interviews will tell you the things you should
do during the interview, few of them take the time to tell you what you
shouldn’t do. If you want to get hired at a job, you will want to avoid doing
the things that are discussed in this article. The first mistake that you will
want to avoid is a lack of preparation.
When you are not prepared for an interview, it will become blatantly obvious to
the person that is interviewing you. For example, if the interviewer asks you a
question that you don’t have a response for, this could keep you from being
hired at the job. While you won’t know all the questions that will be asked
during the interview, you should have a detailed
knowledge of the company. If
they ask you about the history of the company, you should be able to respond to
the question without hesitation. Things that you will need to know about the
company include its history and mission statement.
- Don't Know When to Stop Talking
"Talking over your interviewer
is the biggest mistake that interview candidates don't realize they're
making," says Stacey Hawley, a career and leadership development coach and compensation specialist.
"This is usually from nervousness, but as a result, the candidates outtalk
the interviewer and don't engage in active listening."Amy Michaels,* a human resources
director at a high-tech firm in New York City, agrees: "The inability to
listen is huge. That person who's always trying to have the exact right answer,
but can't stop talking? They ultimately won't be a success." Instead,
listen up and watch more subtle clues—like your interviewer's body language. If
she's shifting back and forth or clearing her throat, it's time to let her get
to the next question.
- You Bad-Mouth Your Ex-Job
While it may seem like a no-brainer,
putting down your current employer happens all too often, says Michaels,
perhaps because the bad feelings are still fresh. If you're tempted to trash
your present company, stop right there."When I ask why you're leaving a
place, I don't want to hear you gripe about your current manager or badmouth
your situation," she says. "Be creative enough to come up with a
tactful reason as to why you're leaving. Otherwise, to me, that's a huge red
flag that you're not mature enough to know not to do it. Not to mention that it
makes me nervous about how tactful you're going to be externally if I hire
you."
- You Don't Acknowledge Your Mistakes
A couple of interview rules of thumb:
"Be well-groomed, and be on time," says Michaels. "Or email if
your train is running late. That happens in New York."
While one minor transgression may not
deep-six your prospects of landing the job, you should still acknowledge it and
move on, says Michaels. Hawley will also pardon small errors: "Mistakes
are OK and acceptable. No one is perfect—or needs to be." The bigger red
flag, both say, is someone who can't admit their missteps. "The people who
make me nuts just act like being late never happened," says Michaels.
"If you make a mistake, own up to it."
- You Neglect Your Cover Letter
Our experts were adamant about this.
"To be honest, I don't read objectives, and I don't care if you
fence," says Michaels. "But I do read cover letters." Hawley
agrees: "Absolutely write a cover letter. It's an opportunity to highlight
your understanding of the business, and what you can do for the bottom
line."And, even in the digital age, there's
no excuse for a quickly dashed-off email—take the time to compose it with care.
"Demonstrate your knowledge of the company," says Hawley. "And
link your past achievements to the position, showing how you can contribute to
their future success." That, she says, will always make a candidate stand
out.
While confidence is a must, check
your supersize ego at the door. "I have a good radar," says Michaels,
"and I have a policy where I will not bring in ego. I've made that
mistake, and it really affects the culture of an organization."What good HR professionals have that
most humans don't, notes Michaels, is a high EQ. "You notice body
language," she says. "You can sense whether someone has empathy or is
overly self-involved."Michaels advice? Try to relax and be
your (best) self. "I like people who are authentic, and you know it’s who
they are," she says. "I'm just attracted to that." Of course, HR
execs can also pick up on whether you're posturing. "When you start
elaborating on things you don’t actually know or things you think I want to
hear, I’m not impressed," she says.
If you're going to the trouble of
sprucing up your résumé and dry-cleaning your suit, at least try to appear
appropriately enthused. An interview is an opportunity to learn about the
company, and vice versa, but you can take yourself out of the running
prematurely if you don't act like you want the position. And that includes
doing your homework on both the company and your individual interviewers."I would never hire someone who
didn't do the proper research," says Hawley. But if it came down to a
choice between two candidates, "all else being equal, the person who
showed the most excitement and interest would get my vote," she says.
When it comes to an interview, you
want to dot your I's, cross your T's and, yes, put your résumé on nice, thick
paper stock—but certain old-fashioned politesse can also get you ahead."A handshake is actually
important to me," says Michaels. "It's a totally stupid thing, but I
do pay attention." So what is she looking for? "You want a firm,
confident handshake," she says. "It tells you whether that person is an
introvert or an extrovert. If it's a sales job, you have to have a healthy
handshake."As for Hawley, her biggest
interview-etiquette pet peeve is equally simple: not following up. So be sure
to send a thank-you note or a thank-you email, if you're trying to be
expedient. But don't just send a form letter to every person who you
interviewed with—thank them instead by mentioning a personal connection or a
particular detail that you discussed.
- You Torpedo the Salary Negotiation
Finally, if you're lucky enough to
get an offer, you're on to (arguably) the hardest part of the interview
process.There are two common
salary-negotiation mistakes our recruiters see: The first is mentioning money
too early. "I think it’s really presumptuous for a candidate to bring up
money," says Michaels. "You have to earn the right to bring that
up." The second is forgetting to negotiate at all. "People—especially women—negotiate against themselves,"
says Hawley. "They assume how the company will respond, and answer for the
company."
Our nerves often cause us to blurt
out a number, locking us into a salary when there was more money to be had.
Instead, she says, you should ask open-ended questions, such as "What
range do you have in mind?" Then wait and listen.
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