It’s that time of year when
students apply for internships, recent graduates look for their first jobs and
others make moves to take the next steps in their careers. While a great resume
and cover letter can help get you in the door, once you’re in, giving a good
interview is vital to securing a job offer. Interviewers not only want to know
if you can do the job, but they also want to know what else you bring to the
table… they want to know your real value and potential contributions (based on
skills and experience). They also want to get a sense of your personality and
what type of person you are, and determine if you’d be a good fit for their
department/organization/corporate culture.
Even if you do everything
right leading up to an interview, when it comes to game time - the actual
interview - there are things you can do that will effectively shoot yourself in
the foot, negatively affect the interview and potentially take you out the
consideration set for the position you’re seeking. These things are completely avoidable!
Here are 10 key things you
should avoid to ensure that you have
a strong interview.
DON’T:
- … go into an interview without researching the company/industry and if possible, identifying competitors - it shows that you’re prepared and interested. And the information you find might also be helpful during the interview (e.g. you might want to know that the organization just announced a merger or just made a major strategic announcement and you can ask how it would affect the position or the department).
- … just glance at the job description because you think you’re a shoo-in. Read it thoroughly and try to understand specifically what the organization is looking for so you can prepare questions in advance about the position (and questions are always seen in a positive light by interviewers!).
- … be stiff, unenthusiastic or appear disinterested… even if you realize that the job is not right for you because then you leave the interviewer with a negative impression and you never know if they can be helpful in the future. But, on the flip side, avoid being overeager or artificially enthusiastic (interviewers can see through that).
- … forget to practice your answers to the following: why are you a good fit for the position? why do you want to work here? what are your strengths/weaknesses? tell me about yourself… these are not the best or most insightful interview questions, but they are frequently asked by interviewers.
- … wait until the last minute to decide what to wear and then find out your blouse is quite wrinkled or there is a spot on your tie. Plan your outfit the night before - there’s no need to create unnecessary stress as you’re preparing for an interview especially because you’ll likely be a little nervous/stressed already.
- … decide before you leave the house to look up directions to the interview. If you don’t leave enough time to plan your route, you can potentially be late to the interview (a golden no-no) by getting lost or realizing that it will take twice as long than anticipated to get there.
- … arrive too early for an interview. If you’re more than 15 minutes early, you risk annoying the interviewer because he/she might be in the middle of something, but now feels rushed because he/she knows you’re there waiting.
- … wear bangle or jingly bracelets or strong perfume/cologne – these can instantly annoy an interviewer and cause an unnecessary negative impression.
- … keep your phone in eyesight AT ALL (even if the ringer is on silent). It’s a distraction and gives the impression that there’s something more important to you than the interview (and it can also be seen as rude behavior, even though looking at your phone while talking to someone is “normal” in your daily life). In addition, an interviewer can easily tell if you’re glancing at your phone, even if you think you’re being very subtle.
- … forget to ask about follow up - what is the timeframe for a decision, with whom should you follow up etc.
Alyssa Gelbard
J’92
President, Resume
Strategists
