5 OBVIOUS INTERVIEW MISTAKES (THAT PEOPLE KEEP MAKING)

The face-to-face interview is fraught with peril. People make mistakes during the interview nearly all the time.
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However, there are certain mistakes—obvious mistakes—that almost everybody would agree should NOT be committed. But people keep making these mistakes. In fact, they make them so often that they could be considered common mistakes.

Below are five obvious interview mistakes (that people keep making):
#1—Trashing your previous employer(s).
The rule is rather simple: if you talk badly about your previous employer, the person conducting the interview assumes that you will talk badly about their company. As a result, there is no context in which doing so is acceptable. It doesn’t matter what happened at your previous employer or what is happening at your present employer, do NOT “drag them through the mud.” You’re the one who will get dirty.
#2—Exhibiting poor manners.
Make and maintain eye contact, shake everybody’s hand (firmly), and follow all the rules of etiquette. Don’t interrupt anybody during conversation, don’t slouch or play with your hair, and absolutely do NOT use foul language. Believe it or not, candidates still swear during interviews.
#3—Not dressing appropriately.
A professional appearance is a must. Yes, many organizations hiring these days have a casual company culture with attire that matches, but you haven’t garnered a job offer yet. Dress as though you want to work for the company, not as though you’ve already been hired.
#4—Not being on time.
Ideally, you should be early, by at least 15 minutes. If you are late, an apology is in order. On the other end of the spectrum, don’t show up an hour early. That might throw up as many red flags as being 15 minutes late. Hiring officials are of the opinion that if a candidate is not able to be on time for the interview, then that candidate probably won’t be conscientious about the duties of their job.
#5—Failing to follow up.
The interview does not end once you walk out the door. The hiring official fully expects you to follow up in some way, either with an email or with a hand-written letter or card. Even if you don’t get the job, this brands you and your candidacy in a positive fashion. After all, you don’t know what the future holds, and the mistakes you make now could still hamper your career down the road.

Now that we’ve addressed obvious interview mistakes, we’ll tackle some not-so-obvious mistakes in our next blog post. In the meantime, do NOT commit the mistakes outlined above!