You went to a great college, landed a competitive internship, scored an early promotion in your first job, and have life experience that makes you perfect for this position. But all your excellent qualifications are meaningless unless you ace the interview. There's no such thing as a good-on-paper hire these days. You must be able to articulate your career interests, discuss your accomplishments, and charm the pants off a real, live person to land a job.
Not only is there an important etiquette to interviews — don't show up late, keep the dress code classy, mind your Ps and Qs — but there are unwritten rules that you must follow to stand out from the competition. "The interview is your one opportunity dazzle," says certified career coach Pamela Skillings, CEO of Skillful Communications and an adjunct professor at New York University, where she teaches classes in human resources management.
Here are 10 interview mistakes that you should, never, ever make.
1. Not practicing for your interview.
Nightmare scenario: A hiring manager asks you, "What are your greatest strengths?" and you answer: "I'm a people person." Fail.
In a competitive market, you must be original and show that you've thought hard about the job, the company, and why your particular skills are a perfect match for both. Failing to prepare adequately for an interview beforehand will yield nervous, throwaway responses to questions like the above. So what's the answer? Stage a mock interview.
"Preparation, across the board, is the most important thing," Skillings says. "I see people in their 20s failing at this more than anyone else. The advice to practice your interview is out there, but no one seems to be doing it, or they're doing it in a half-baked way."
So, yes, you need to role-play. Find a friend, a mentor, a neighbor, a lover — someone who will offer true constructive criticism — and make them play the part of hiring manager. "It may feel awkward, but it allows you the chance to organize your thoughts and develop a narrative," Skillings says. "No hiring manager is impressed by robotic responses, and that's what you're going to get if you go in cold."
2. Downplaying your accomplishments.
The fact that you landed an interview proves that the company is already impressed by you. Now it's your job to show them that they weren't wrong. "Being too humble or too self-deprecating isn't endearing; it's a missed opportunity," Skillings says. "If you're modest by nature and you're not used to saying how great you are, you need to prepare to be good at that."
3. Talking too much.
OK, yes, you need to showcase your strengths, humble-brag about how you can solve problems, work well with people, and go with the flow. But there comes a time to shut up — and it's built right into the natural pauses and transitions of conversation. Allow those silences to linger or your ambition may come off as annoying.
"One of the worst things you can do is just yammer on and on," Skillings says. "Even if you're saying good things about yourself, the person listening is going to fall off the train once the dialogue becomes a monologue. One to two minutes is the limit for any part of your conversation. When you rush to fill a silence or keep talking to improve your answer to a question, it usually ends up sabotaging you more than anything. Blurting out one inappropriate thing will stick with the interviewer and that can be all they focus on."
4. Twirling your hair, picking your cuticles, tap-tap-tapping your foot.
We all have nervous habits, but nowhere are they so apparent than in a closed-door, one-on-one interview. So that thing you do with your lip when you're nervous or that giggle that bubbles up when you're feeling insecure — get it under control. This is where that mock interview can help you out again.
"People don't realize they're doing something truly irritating unless they take some time to find out," Skillings says. "And it's very easy for an interviewer to focus only on that obnoxious trait and forget everything else. Have someone watch you for a day and make him or her take notes on your habits. Not only should they be watching for fidgets, but verbal ticks as well." For example, have them write down how many times you say "um" or "like" in a conversation. You will be amazed. And you'll remember it during the interview.
5. Running out of questions.
While talking too much can cause annoyance, not saying enough is even more of a red flag. An interview is not just an opportunity for a company to hear all about you; it's the one shot you have to find out as much as you can about them as well. If you don't communicate a genuine interest or curiosity about the company, its culture, the specific team you're interviewing for, or other specifics not listed on the application, you'll likely come off as apathetic.
"Not having a question is definitely a bad sign," Skillings says. "I don't care how much the interviewer has talked or if they truly did answer everything you had written down in your notebook. You must come back with another question. I tell people to have at least three questions prepared in advance, but you should also be paying attention in the interview so you can ask spontaneous questions as well."
6. Saying you don't have any weaknesses or haven't experienced failure.
Yes, you're awesome, and you need to articulate that concisely (see No. 2 and No. 3). But recruiters are looking for a certain degree of self-awareness in candidates. Part of that is knowing when you've messed up — and being able to talk through how you handled the situation. "All recruiters are throwing the failure question in there now," Skillings says. "It's become the new take on 'What is your weakness?' It's very important to be prepared for this question. It can be awkward to talk about negative things that don't reveal your biggest strengths, but not being able to talk about failure will seem disingenuous. We've all made mistakes. Showing that you've learned from them will reflect very positively on you as a candidate."
7. Avoiding eye contact.
Technology has put us at a disadvantage. So much of our communication these days is conveyed through an electronic device that has no face. But there are no emoticons to help you in an interview. Don't underestimate the power in a firm handshake, eye contact and speaking at a level at which someone can actually hear you. "Body language is really important, especially if you're out of practice in meeting new people and having a conversation with a stranger, in person," Skillings says. "I've been surprised how many times people come in and look at the floor. Posture is big too. Make sure your posture says 'confident and interested' and not '12-year-old forced to attend Thanksgiving dinner.'"
8. Looking at your phone.
Just put the phone, tablet, iThing away — and turn it off. Think of an interview as the most important first date you've ever had. You want to give this person your full attention and knock their socks off with your intellect, curiosity, charm, and focus. Having your phone in plain sight sends the message that the world beyond the walls of that interview room are more important. And they're not. Not even for new Blue Ivy pictures on Instagram.
"There is absolutely no reason in the world you should have your phone on in an interview," Skillings says. "Maybe if your partner is in active labor. Maybe. You want the recruiter to feel like the most important person in the world to you at that moment."
9. Getting too chummy with your recruiter.
Human resources professionals are professional conversationalists. They can be really fun to talk to, and many of them are young — they may even seem like a peer you'd love to grab a drink with. They're not. At least not until after you land the job.
"I think the biggest risk you can take is to relax too much in an interview," Skillings says. "Of course it's a relief when an interviewer makes you feel comfortable. It's OK to relax and allow your true self to come through. But never slump into hangout mode. Remember that you are being critiqued from the minute you walk into the room until the minute you leave it."
10. Seriously, don't ask about salary.
This should be a no-brainer, but people make this mistake all the time. Look, we all want to be paid what we're worth. And on an even more basic level, we need to make enough to pay the bills. Everyone gets this. But here's why avoiding this topic at all costs is simply critical: Bringing up salary in an interview communicates to the hiring manager that you are interested in a specific number, not a specific job. It's about as insulting as a first date asking you how much you make.
"A lot of my clients are confident about what they're worth, and that's great," Skillings says. "But the best strategy is not to bring up salary before the company does. The person who mentions a number first is always at a disadvantage. When they bring it up to you, it means they want to hire you. Now you hold the upper hand."
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