Performing badly in an interview is one of the worst feelings for a job candidate. Interviews are the cause of anxiety, since candidates may be overcome by uncertainty as to how they performed and whether they answered the questions in the right way. Irrespective of the experience and academic qualifications, there is always the possibility that you are not selected for the role. In this article, we discuss some mistakes that can hinder you from getting the job.
An Honest CV
Failing to maintain consistency with your resume can hurt your chances in an interview. If you do not have sufficient results and experience to back what you are stating in your CV, hiring managers may believe that you are not completely truthful when discussing your skills and competencies. In this regard, it is important to ensure that you can justify each statement made on your CV with facts.
Although you may be tempted to showcase a particular skill during the interview, do not fall into the trap of forgetting other important competencies. Today’s workforce requires versatile staff that can adapt to different challenges and that has a variety of both hard and soft skills.
Your experience is equally important to your qualifications
Failing to discuss in depth your previous experiences is also a way to shoot yourself in the foot. You will need to show that you have the expertise to discuss the different technicalities of the job. By not elaborating enough, you can give the impression that your experiences are overstated and that you are trying too hard to sell yourself.
Attitude
Not paying attention to the non-verbal cues during an interview could also be detrimental. If you are talking too much and the hiring managers are not keeping eye contact and looking at their watch, it means that you need to change gear and regain their interest. It would also be beneficial to ensure that you are allowing the hiring managers to communicate their points across.
Appearing over-confident may also hurt your chances. People are less likely to sympathise with a show-off, who thinks is a know-it-all. In such instances, it would be best to maintain prudence and honesty.
Stay in control of your words and actions
There will be instances where you feel that you have lost control over the interview. This can be catastrophic for your chances as the hiring manager may decide to focus more on your weaknesses rather than strengths. It is then up to your ability to adapt and shift the focus on what you can do best.
Be respectful
Always remember to dress appropriately and always be fifteen minutes early to your interview. Sometimes, the little things make bigger differences.
Whenever your next interview, keep in mind that not all of them are meant to go well, and you won’t be ideal for every role. That said, knowing the potential pitfalls, will arm you better to address any issues which may arise.
