Hunting for a new job can be
stressful, and once you've managed to secure an interview or two the nerves
really start to kick in. But follow these top tips of what you shouldn't do in
an interview and you can land that dream job.
BE EARLY
Don’t be late. It seems the most
obvious interview tip, but many people struggle with punctuality. Plan your
route well in advance; assume you may be delayed to give yourself plenty of
time to arrive to your interview about 10 minutes early. This will show that
you are keen and emphasize your ability to be punctual.
REVIEW YOUR
KEY POINTS
Do remember to go over your resume and
achievements prior to the interview. When the interviewer asks you questions
about this, you should be able to answer them straight away without referring
to your resume and be able to expand on important details.
LOOK THE PART
Find out what people wear in advance
if possible. Do dress smartly and be sure that
your clothes are clean and ironed, if necessary. Make sure that you
maintain good personal hygiene. Hair should be washed; nails should be clean
and trimmed and be sure to take measures to ensure you don’t have any body
odour.
DON'T SMOKE
Don’t smoke before going into your
interview. Even if your interviewer smokes too, chances are they don’t want to
smell the remnants of your last cigarette lingering in the room for the
duration of your interview
SILENCE YOUR
CELL PHONE
Do remember to switch your phone off.
Even if it’s on silent, you may have an alarm you forgot about go off in the
middle of the interview which will definitely come across as unprofessional.
AVOID SLANG
Don’t use slang or curse words when
speaking with the employer. Even if you feel it is a very casual situation, or
you are a bit nervous, it’s always best to come off as being polite.
SPEAK
PROFESSIONALLY
Do speak eloquently and think about
how what you’re saying will come across to the hiring managers. Think in advance
about what makes you the best person for the role and be confident. Avoiding
colloquialisms and fillers such as “um” and “like” will definitely give the
hiring manager a better impression of you.
WATCH YOUR
BODY LANGUAGE
Don’t slouch in your seat or make
other gestures that may suggest disinterest in either being at the interview or
what the interviewer is talking about.
BE ENGAGED
Do sit up straight, avoid excessive
fidgeting and be genuinely engaged with the interviewer. Behaving in any other
way is likely to come off as disrespectful and unprofessional.
DON'T LIE OR
OVER-EXAGGERATE
Don’t lie or over-exaggerate when
answering questions about your past employment and achievements. More likely
than not you will be found out. Rather than run the risk of being exposed
later, be truthful about your accomplishments and focus on skills that could be
valuable in the new role.
AVOID
PERSONAL DISCUSSIONS
Don’t discuss your views on
controversial topics or personal issues you may be experiencing. This is not the
time for them.
STAY ON TOPIC
Listen carefully to their questions
and try to stay on topic and keep answers concise and relevant. You will miss
out on making your point if you ramble on about things irrelevant to the
questions you’re being asked.
DON'T DICTATE
YOUR RESUME
Don’t answer the interviewer’s
questions by simply reading points straight off a copy of your resume that you
have in front of you. Think about what skills you have learned and developed
from previous roles rather than just listing what you did.
DON'T BE A
GOSSIP
Don't talk about past employers or
colleagues in a negative or gossipy way. It's likely to set alarm bells ringing
with your prospective employer.
DISCUSS YOUR
SKILLS
Do share, in a clear and objective
manner, what you learned from challenging situations at your previous job and
how these acquired skills can be used in this role.
MAKE EYE
CONTACT
Don’t forget to make eye contact and
smile. Your interviewer(s) will be trying to work out if you will fit in and
get on with others.
SHOW YOUR
CONFIDENCE
Do show that you’re a confident
individual by maintaining eye contact while speaking to the employer. Smiling
during the interview will not only show that you are friendly, but you will
also appear to be relaxed even if the opposite is true.
BE PREPARED
TO EXPAND
Don’t draw blanks or answer questions
with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Take your time to give a proper reply
PROVIDE
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES
Don’t use vague and meaningless
phrases such as “I’m a good team player” and “I’m a people person”. Instead
provide specific examples of how you’ve worked as part of a team or have
developed people you’ve managed in the past.
ASK THE RIGHT
QUESTIONS
Do understand that asking intelligent
questions about the company and the role shows that you’re interested in the
job and the company and that you have done the appropriate research.
PUT IN THE
EFFORT
Don’t hand over a patchy resume or
samples of your work that look like they’ve been mauled by a dog. Print them in
colour on good-quality paper and present them in a folder. Good luck!
