Are you Making any of these Interview Mistakes?

We surveyed some of Hertfordshire’s local employers recently to find out what can turn them off a potential employee. Here are some of the things they responded with. Do any of these sound familiar?

Being unprepared

Being unprepared is a huge mistake that employers can see through almost instantly in an interview. Because of this, you should always prepare. This means researching the company thoroughly, finding out who you are meeting and understanding everything you can about the company you are interviewing for. Make use of the internet, it makes it so easy. You can even use LinkedIn to research each person in the business now! Even connecting with the contacts before the interview to show your interest can be a real advantage.

Lateness

Lateness can give the employer an awful first impression, you wouldn’t be late to work so why be late to an interview?

Lateness can give the impression to the employer that you are not trustworthy, unorganised or have poor punctuality. To avoid this always aim to be 15 minutes early to your interview just in case you do hit traffic or can’t find the location. If you are running late due to unforeseen circumstances, apologise let them know as soon as possible so they can decide if they want to reschedule or not.

Tips for public transport:

· Practice the journey

· Check for any cancellations or delays at least an hour before you set off

· Check for any traffic on route

· Prepay for your ticket and collect in advance

· Allow for any walking time

Lack of interest

To avoid seeming uninterested ensure you have done all of your preparation for the interview, so you are ready to attend. When you are preparing you should ask yourself, why do you want this job in particular? This will help you seem more interested in the role as a whole.

You’re in a job interview if you aren’t interested in the job don’t attend! This is a waste of your time and the employers time. A quick phone call to tell them you aren’t going to be attending will do. Politely decline and update the person who you are meeting to avoid being rude whilst also allowing someone else the opportunity.

Body language

Your body language can say a lot about you as a person, and this will be something that is usually observed in an interview. With this in mind you should always be conscious about what you are doing, this means correcting your posture and mannerisms.

To make sure you aren’t accidentally giving off the wrong impression, you could take a look in the mirror at how you sit or do a mock interview with someone you know to check how you are putting yourself across. This could be the way you are sitting, how interested you look, how much eye contact you give and your facial expressions. There is a lot to remember here, practice makes perfect!