I thought my interview went well, but I didn’t get good feedback. What happened?
This month we wanted to address some common interview killers that surprisingly, still pop up as feedback too often.
Here are 7 habits of highly Ineffective Interviewing:
1. Turn your phone off.
If for some emergency reason, you have to leave it on, silence it and by all means, don’t stop and text or answer calls.
2. Dress professionally.
Although a suit is not always warranted, know the environment and your audience. Whatever you wear, needs to be pressed and put together.
3. Leave negativity in the car.
Never talk badly of your current company or leader—it never bodes well in an interview. When asked why you are looking to leave, express what you are looking for in positive terms versus appearing as if you are just trying to run from a bad situation.
4. Ignorance is not bliss.
You should research the company and individuals on the interview panel. LinkedIn is a great resource to understand basics and reading through recent press releases helps provide color around a company’s changing dynamics.
5. Don’t get too comfortable.
Often, once a rapport is established in an interview, people can get too comfortable –posture goes into slouching, cuss words come out in stories and too much personal info gets shared. Being personable is good. Getting too personal and too comfortable isn’t.
6. Don’t dominate the interview.
More times than not, candidates talk themselves out of a job. Be cognizant of keeping the conversation even– An interview should be a back and forth discussion.
7. Don’t put the cart before the horse.
Keep negotiation and detailed questions about compensation, benefits and info on vacation time for the relevant time—which isn’t in a first round of interviews. If the interviewer brings it up, you can certainly touch on it, but don’t try negotiation tactics too early.
We are always happy to help you through every step of the process, from determining what your career goals are to helping you reach them. Feel free to contact us!
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