7 Interview Mistakes Job Seekers Make… And How to Avoid them

Over the years, I have had the rare opportunity of being on both sides if the table at interviews through my career, and I can tell from experience that being interviewed (physically/orally) is one thing a lot of job seekers fear and fail woefully in.

Facing an interview panel can be really intimidating, especially when one is not well prepared or lacks the skills and experience needed to win over the interviewers.

In a survey of 2000 bosses, 33% claimed that they know within the first 90 seconds of an interview whether they will hire someone. Your goal is to create the right impression in the mind of the interviewers in the first 2 minutes of the interview.

I’ll highlight #7 Mistakes that job seekers make at interviews that you must avoid to stand out and win over interviewers:

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1. Inappropriate Dressing:

Some job seekers attend interview looking inappropriate. Some Overdress, others dress poorly, while yet others (mostly the ladies) dress skimpily. These are definite no no’s and turn off interviewers.

70 % employers claim they don’t want applicants looking fashionable or trendy, while 65% of bosses say clothes could be the deciding factor between two similar candidates. You don’t want your prospective employer having the wrong impression of you being unkempt, sexually suggestive or shabbily dressed like some unserious hobo.

Look smart and dress the way you want to be perceived by the interviewers.

2.Poor Knowledge of Employer: Having little or no knowledge about the organization offering the job opening is a definite no no! 47 % of job seekers make this mistake at interviews and miss the job. You definitely don’t want to make this mistake.

3. Asking for too High Pay: A lot of job seekers, especially fresh graduates, having an illusion of what they wish their ideal pay to be, make the terrible mistake of asking for too high pay. This turns off the interviewers and reduces your chances of being considered for the position.

4.Acting shy, failing to make eye contact, playing with hair or touching your face and lack of a smile are bad signs that turn off interviewers.

5. Using too many gestures like fidgeting too much, crossing arms over your chest and bad posture make you seem unsure of yourself and perhaps not prepared or confident enough to take the role.

6.Wearing too bright colours are a huge turn off!

7.Speaking with low tones, wrong grammar, and shaky voice is indicative of a low self-esteem or a lack of self-confidence.

As much as it is important to prepare yourself for the interview, it is also vitally important that you prepare yourself to fit the role/position you are applying for.

This is why you can’t neglect the importance of getting the skills and knowledge required to make you stand out at any interview and get your dream job. You can do this by attending seminars and trainings, take up courses that build your capacity and equip you with the requisite knowledge and skills to succeed.