Now Its All About Me

Did you know that the interviewer makes up his mind about you in the first few minutes of the job interview? So it’s important to make sure your first impression is your best one.  It is virtually impossible to undo a first impression.  However, many candidates make some mistakes in the interview that can cost them landing the job.  I have interviewed thousands of candidates while I was a hiring manager and now as a staffing professional.  One of the most common interview mistakes I have seen candidates make is dressing inappropriately for the interview.  If you are unsure of how you should dress or you are coming directly from work and you do not want to alert your employer about an interview by “dressing up” in your interview suit,  it is appropriate to ask if it’s ok to dress in business casual attire  for the interview as an example.  They will tell you how you should dress if you are not sure.

Another common mistake candidates make in an interview  is forgetting to turn off their cell phone.  That’s right. Just as the interview is about to begin, the candidate’s cell phone starts to ring with some crazy personalized ring tone.  It is very important to remember to turn off your cell phone before going into the interview.

Candidates know they should arrive on time for an interview but many show up late. They have many excuses for not being on time including running into traffic, getting lost, unable to locate parking, etc.  Candidates must allow ample time to get to the interview.  If you are not sure how to get to the location, drive to the location the evening or weekend before the interview is scheduled.  You should plan on traffic and other delays that may prevent you from getting to the interview on time and therefore you should leave early enough in case you are indeed delayed.  Also you should plan on arriving 10-15 minutes early.

Acting disinterested will not win you any points in the interview.  You have no idea how many times a hiring manager has said to me that they are not going to move forward with so and so because they seemed disinterested.  When I provide the candidate with this feedback, the candidate is surprised and tells me that they really want the position. So I than ask the candidate if  they expressed interest in the job.  9 times out of 10, the candidates reply is always the same “if I wasn’t interested, I wouldn’t have shown up at the interview.” So now you know, being at the interview is not enough to show interest in the position. You should tell the interviewer that you are interested by saying something like “This job is exactly what I am looking for”.

Also, you must be cognizant of your non verbal communication or body language.  If you are fidgety, not making eye contact, displaying poor posture, or your arms and legs are crossed as an example, displays of these types of behavior can and usually are  interpreted as showing a lack of interest.

Lastly, you should never speak poorly about a  current or prior company and/or boss.  This turns off most interviewers and most likely you will not get the job.

So remember when you are going to an interview to dress appropriately, show up on time, smile,  sit up straight, make eye contact, never speak poorly about your current or prior boss and don’t forget to turn off your cell phone.