Six mistakes to avoid making in interviews
It’s natural to be nervous in a job interview, but don’t let your lack of confidence impact your preparation.
Even the most confident of people can make mistakes in a job interview, often unaware.
According to an online employment website, CareerBuilder, some of the listed mistakes people make in interviews can be avoided.
CareerBuilder has listed some of the common mistakes that people make in interviews after questioning around 2 600 hiring managers/HR departments.
1. Poor preparation
It’s natural to be nervous in a job interview, but don’t let your lack of confidence impact your preparation, explained Rosemary Haefner, chief HR officer for CareerBuilder.
Haefner said if one did not read about the company and researched the role thoroughly, one could magnify his or her fear of interviewing poorly and lose the opportunity.
2. Lying
According to Haefner it is tempting to big oneself up on a CV by embellishing achievements, but as soon as you get caught out (and you will get caught out), your potential employer loses all faith in you. It’s good to be confident and proud of your past accomplishments, but don’t get caught in the moment and exaggerate them to the point of being misleading.
3. Arrogance
Confidence is key, having a big head is not. The survey saw 59% of employers admitting that arrogance or entitlement was a deal-breaker for hiring new employees.
ALSO READ: What to do and not to do during an interview
4. Dressing inappropriately
When asked whether a candidate being dressed inappropriately was enough not to hire someone, 49% of hiring managers said yes. Although it may be difficult to predict the work-wear of the job you’re going for, assume the vibe is smart and presentable – unless you’re sure it’s otherwise.
5. Lack of eye contact
Almost 70% of those surveyed said lack of eye contact would disqualify an otherwise positive candidate from the job interview process. It’s extremely important to strike the balance between appearing confident and sincere with the right amount of eye contact and, er, intensely staring at your potential employer until they feel uncomfortable.
6. Being late
This one’s a no-brainer really: not only does it demonstrate bad timekeeping and organisational skills, but lack of respect and professionalism, too.
Unless you have a legitimate and incredibly good reason, that is – but you should have probably tried to call ahead and explain, should this be the case.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
