Having trouble getting job offers? You might be committing one of these seven deadly interview sins:
1. Being late. While occasional lateness may be
excused in other situations, it's often a deal-breaker in a job
interview. Hiring managers assume that you're on your best behavior
while interviewing, so if you aren't on time for the interview, they'll
assume you'll be unreliable if they hire you. Always allow more time
than you'll need to travel so that you have a buffer in case something
goes wrong.
2. Badmouthing a former employer. As tempting
as it might be to explain that you left your last job because your boss
was crazy or that your previous company was mismanaged and corrupt,
sharing these feelings will reflect badly on you. Rightly or wrongly,
the interviewing convention is that you don't badmouth
a previous employer. Hiring managers are looking for evidence that you
know what is and isn't appropriate to say in business situations.
3. Not being prepared with examples that illustrate why you'd excel at the job.
If you claim that you excel at strategizing or that you're an
innovative genius, but then aren't able to give specific examples of how
you've used these skills, interviewers aren't going to give much
credence to your claims. Make sure to come to the interview prepared
with specific examples from your past that show how you've turned your
skills into real accomplishments at work.
4. Telling an off-color joke. Interviewers are
scrutinizing you for evidence of what kind of judgment you have. No
matter how friendly your interviewer might seem, inappropriate jokes or
off-color language have no place in a job interview. You'll call your
judgment into question, and will make your interviewer wonder what
you'll be like when your guard is down after you have the job.
5. Not asking any questions. You might be spending
eight hours a day in this job, at this company, with this manager. Are
you sure there's nothing you're wondering about? Interviewers want to
know that you're interested in the details of the job, the department in
which you'll be working, the supervisor's management style, and the
culture of the organization. Otherwise, you're signaling that you're
either not that interested or that you just haven't thought much about
it. So come prepared with thoughtful, intelligent questions about the work you'd be doing.
6. Sounding bitter. Job-searching is tough, and it's
easy to feel discouraged. But if you sound even the tiniest bit bitter
or negative about your job search or a previous employer, you'll turn
off potential employers and almost guarantee that you won't get offers.
No one wants to hire someone who seems angry or resentful.
7. Not being likeable. Interviewers are human and
want to work with pleasant people. If you're unfriendly, arrogant, or
rude, it won't matter how qualified you are; interviewers won't want to
hire you. So be friendly and open, and show genuine interest in the
people with whom you're talking. Don't feel you have to hide your
personality, or be so formal that you become stiff or impersonal.
Alison Green writes the popular Ask a Manager blog,
where she dispenses advice on career, job search, and management
issues. She's also the co-author of Managing to Change the
World: The Nonprofit Manager's Guide to Getting Results, and
former chief of staff of a successful nonprofit organization,
where she oversaw day-to-day staff management, hiring, firing,
and employee development.
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