15 Most Common Interview Mistakes | What not to do in an Interview

Hello there…!!
Finally, you have the interview for the job you desire. You have been waiting for it for a long period of time. You spent a good number of hours to make yourself perfect for the job interview you are going to attain. But what if I tell you that there are some very common interview mistakes which most of the candidates do even without knowing about it?
Worried…?? You shouldn’t because you are at the right place at the right time! Here in this article, we are going to discuss – “what not to do in an interview” to make it a successful one.

1) Arriving Late for the Interview:

Arriving a little late may sound normal but it’s actually not. You have to understand that you are going for a job interview and not at any movie with your friends. If due to any reason, you arrive late for the interview, it makes the interviewer assume that you are not a responsible person. Thus, make sure to arrive on time or before some time for the job interview.

2) Inappropriate Dressing:

Inappropriate dressing directly leaves a negative impact on the mind of the interviewer. Always remember “the first impression is the last impression.” Thus, do everything to make it perfect.

 

 

In few cases, dressing depends on the type of job you are going to give the interview for. But in most of the cases, it’s better to wear formals rather than casuals.

3) Using Mobile Phone during Interview:

Using mobile phones during the job interview is a big mistake. Keep it in silent mode or switched-off (if possible). Give hundred percent of your attention to the interviewer during an interview. If any call comes to you during an interview, just disconnect it and apologize for the inconvenience. Taking phone calls or replying to the messages during an interview will definitely leave a negative impact on the interviewer’s mind.

4) Not Making Eye-Contact while Answering:

Most of the candidates use to look downwards or at different places while answering. Not making an eye-contact while answering makes the interviewer assume that you are not confident enough even if you are giving proper answers to the interviewer’s questions. So, don’t forget to make an effective eye-contact during the interview.

5) Getting Nervous during Interview:

Most of the candidates use to be nervous from inside during an interview. The recruiters use to be quite expert to understand your nervousness. Nervous attitude reduces the chances of getting hired. You have to understand one thing, either you will get the job or you will lose only the opportunity among thousands of opportunities. Always remember “they need us more than we need them” and this is the only reason that they invest their valuable time to take our interview. So, be confident, there is nothing to get nervous!

6) Inappropriate Style of Sitting:

The Corporate world is quite different than our day-to-day life. At the initial stage, many of us could not understand the difference between these two. Sitting in a relaxed way; lean heavily to the chair doesn’t look professional at all. In an interview hall, a candidate should sit up straight and calm without snuggling up with the chair.

7) Pre-prepared Way of Answering:

Most of the candidates prepare themselves for the most common interview questions which could be asked before going for the job interview. As these are the most common interview questions, these are mostly asked by the recruiters. Candidates get excited hearing it and start giving prompt answers from the beginning to the very end without any break. This is one of the common interview mistakes which make the recruiters simply understand that the candidate is answering fluently not because of his/her good presence of mind rather because of the reason that they have learned everything prior to the interview. It doesn’t leave a perfect impact on the mind of the interviewer. Always remember, you need to sound natural and not scripted. So, make sure to take a small pause after hearing a question of the interviewer and then answer in a gentle way without showing any promptness. It makes the interviewer understand that the candidate has analyzed the question and then answering it using his/her presence of mind. It leaves a positive impact on the interviewer’s mind.

8) Explaining More about Personal Life and Interest:

Whenever an interviewer asks any question related to your personal life, they don’t actually want to know about your personal life and interest rather they want to know that what are your qualities or which facts of your personal life is actually beneficial/favorable for their company. For example, if the interviewer asks – tell me about yourself, they don’t want to hear about your personal life, interests, relationships etc. rather they want to know which interests, hobbies or conditions of yours is favorable for the job and the company. So, don’t explain more about your personal life and interests rather explain only that part of your life which is beneficial for them followed by a little description about you, your family and your place of living.

9) Descriptive Answers:

Few of us think that more is always better but this principle doesn’t work in every scenario. In an interview, more descriptive or elaborated answers are not preferred. If you are giving lengthy answers to each and every question, it will definitely gonna mess up your interview. Always try to be accurate, short and up to the point to the interviewer’s questions.

10) Expressing Salary Expectations:

It is always advisable not to tell your salary expectations in terms of money at an interview, especially if you are a fresher. It is advised as you don’t know the standard or salary structure of the organization. If your salary expectation would be lower than organization’s standards they might assume that your expertise is also less than the required standard and if your salary expectation would be higher than there range for that particular post, they will not gonna select you. In both the cases, you will lose that job.
If they ask you for your salary expectations, give indirect tricky answers to them like, I would like to have a salary as per the standards of the organization. This kind of answer will not only save you but will force the other party to provide a salary which would be the best for that job post as well. You will definitely be communicated the salary amount at the time they will select you for the job. You could easily refuse the job at that time if you don’t like the salary amount they are offering.

11) Lack of Knowledge About the Company:

Candidates spend a good number of hours to prepare the common interview questions and all the related stuff to make the interview perfect but they forget to gather the information about the company they are going to give the interview for. It’s a huge mistake which most of the candidates do. Before going for the interview make sure to collect all the possible information about that company. If you will have the knowledge about the culture, values, objectives of the company; you would be in a much better position to understand the whole scenario and showcase all your answers and activities accordingly during the interview.

12) Inappropriate Facts in the Resume:

Stating inappropriate facts in the resume to increase the chances of getting selected is one of the most common interview mistakes which will definitely reduce your chances of getting the job. Always remember, the recruiters use to be smart enough to understand it. If you will use any inappropriate fact in your resume or anywhere during the interview, most of the time it will be understood by the recruiters and you will lose the job. It is always advisable, to be honest during an interview.

13) Criticizing Past Organization or Past Employer:

During a job interview, don’t ever criticize your past organization, employer or the co-workers. If you have any bad experience with your past organization, mention it in a gentle way. Badmouthing the past organization leaves a negative impact on the interviewer’s mind. If you will explain the bad experience with your past organization in a gentle way explaining the measures that you took to handle those situations rather than criticizing your past organization, it will make the interviewer understand that you are able to handle the conflict situations as well.

14) Showing Future Interest in Other Organizations:

In a job interview, make sure to show all your present and future interest in that particular organization only where you are going to give the interview for. The recruiters will try to observe your future interest by asking tricky questions like – “where do you see yourself in next 5 years?” If you will show your interest in any other organization, in the long run, they will simply understand that you are here to use their resources and ultimately you are gonna leave. It will drastically reduce your chance of getting hired.

15) Not Bringing the Necessary Things:

Not bringing the necessary stuff with you in an interview is one of the most “common interview mistakes” which most of the candidates do. You have to make sure that when the interviewer will ask you to write something on a piece of paper, you should at least have your own pen to write. Always bring all the necessary documents and extra copies of resumes even if you have submitted it before. Going unprepared without any of this stuff will definitely put you in trouble.

It always gives pleasure to see you all till the very end of the article. In this article on – “what not to do in an interview”, we have discussed almost all the most “common interview mistakes” to avoid in a job interview to make it a successful one. If you have any query on the above topic, leave a comment below or directly contact us using our “contact page” and we will definitely try to get back to you!