How to avoid making common interview mistakes?

Interview Preparation
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t’s essential to use this opportunity to showcase your best qualities, and ensure that you’re memorable for all the right reasons. Nerves do play their part in the interview process and everyone has areas that they could improve upon. However, more often than not it’s the most preventable errors that cost you the job.

Being unprepared

Preparation for an interview is crucial to arriving in a confident mood and feeling ready to tackle the interviewer’s questions. Read up on the company’s background, its place in the market and its competitors, and familiarise yourself with its key members. Make sure that you fully understand the role on offer. Failing to do so will make you look lazy and uninterested.

Dressing inappropriately

Being well presented is a must so choose your outfit carefully. Clothes should be clean and freshly ironed. Turning up in ripped jeans and a pair of trainers hardly gives a professional impression.

Knowing the type of company you have applied to should give you a clue as to the dress code.

Talking too much or not enough

Learning to strike a balance between talking too much and talking too little can be a challenge. Taking part in practice interviews with your university careers service can really help to ensure that you give the right amount of information.

Criticising previous employers or colleagues

Complaining about colleagues, drawing attention to the negative aspects of your previous or current job or moaning about your superiors are all likely to blow your chances of success.

Failing to ask questions

As the interview draws to a close the recruiter will ask if you have any questions you’d like to ask them. It’s never a good idea to say no. This is your opportunity to get answers to your queries about the role and the company so don’t waste it. Asking a couple of relevant questions shows your interest in the role. You could ask about any current projects your potential team is working on, progression opportunities, or where the company sees itself in five years’ time.