You’ve worked hard developing yourself as a candidate of choice, and you have the skills to make it with any company. However, even the best talent can still make mistakes during the interview process. If you know you’ve got what it takes to get hired, but you’re finding that you’re not getting past the interview stage, you may be making a few, very common mistakes.
Here’s what you need to know to ace your next interview and land the job you really want.
1. Failing to Properly Prepare
When you go into any interview, particularly one for a top level job, the interviewer is going to expect that you will come prepared. This means being able to answer potentially tough questions, as well as knowing more than just general facts about the company you’d like to work for. Take the time to go over your past job history and get prepared to answer questions about the position you’d like to have. It’s also a great idea to really study up on a company before you go in for an interview.
2. Stock Answers That Don’t Reveal Your Personality
The interviewer is going to ask tough questions not to torture you, but to learn more about you as a person and how you handle pressure. If you answer everything with a stock or uninteresting reply, they will quickly look elsewhere. Don’t be afraid to let your personality, your passion and who you are stand out during an interview.
3. Failing to Dress Appropriately
It goes without saying that you have to dress the part in an interview, but this is by far one of the most common mistakes potential candidates make. Take the time to learn about the dress code of a company before you apply. If it’s business casual, take it up a notch. If it’s business professional, make sure that every part of your appearance matches what they would expect from a top executive of that firm.
4. Lack of Interaction During the Interview
You want to come off as an engaging and motivated person during your interview. It’s all too easy to get a little bored, particularly if you’ve been on a lot of interviews and you’re answering similar questions. You’ve got to keep your engagement level high and interact with your interviewer throughout the entire process. If you do act bored, your chances of getting the job are slim to none.
5. Negativity
No one wants to work with a negative person. You may have had some negative experiences with past employers, but your interview is not the time to share your thoughts on the matter. Find a way to be positive about the situation and never talk badly about another company or manager. It’s a small world and interviewers are smart enough to know that if you’ll take badly about one company, the chances are very high you could do that to them in the future.
Before your next interview, take the time to really think about what you want to say. Do your homework ahead of time and make sure that you represent a top candidate not just on your resume, but also in how you act.
Want even more great tips on how to ace your next interview? The experts at Solopoint Solutions are here to help!