Common Mistakes We Commit in the Interviews

Interviews are nothing Greek and Latin for all of us, because we face interviews right from the beginning of our career; may be the intensity of the interviews may be different according to the positions we choose and our work experience. In spite of facing many interviews, there are many people who feel nervous and scared to face the interview. This is most common thing that happens in the real life, all because of the fear of unknown. This fear of unknown can be battled and suppressed by taking enough care in proper preparation and practice before we face the actual interviews. Interview is not a horror movie or a battle field to get frightened or horrified. It is just a formal meeting between you and your employer, where your employer wants to know about your technical, communication ,attitudes, perceptions, presentation, body language, aptitude skills and interpersonal skills and to make sure how you fit for the job position and your ability to do the job. All the questioning, cross questioning, discussions are all to know about you thoroughly, rather than just relying on resumes; which are often faked. Here are few common mistakes we tend to make in the interviews .If we avoid these mistakes we can make our interview easier, pleasant and the outcome of the interview would be a positive note.

Dressing Casually: Interview is however not a casual meeting, it is definitely a formal one. Before the interviewer's talk to you and know about you.what makes first best impression on the interviewer's mind is your dressing. So, make sure you attend the interview with formal outfits and shoes.

Attending Unprepared: Facing the interview without any prior preparation shows your lack of interest and recklessness. So, make sure you have a pre-interview checklist ready. The checklist includes, know about the organization, practice a mock interview with your friend or a coach, scroll through all the routine and non- routine questions and make sure you could answer all the questions without any hesitation or blabbering, dress formally, have extra copies of your resume, carry a palm book and a pen, be sure of the location of the interview; so that you can avoid reaching late and finally know your worth exactly.

Slipping into personal history: When the interviewer asks to tell about yourself, Never ever eventually slip into your personal history. What the interviewer expects to hear from you is your work experience. So, be well prepared for this most commonly and first asked question, and deliver the answer in most confident and effective way that it creates a good impact. Start with your most recent employment and highlight your major accomplishments and explain why you are well qualified for the position.

Asking the interviewer's about the company and the job: Asking the interviewer's about the company and the job creates a sort of disinterest in you and make the interviewer's feel that you do not have a clear objective. So, before you attend the interview, go through the web and know about the company and job description thoroughly. If possible read recent articles or publications about the company. This shows your clarity on various aspects of the company and the job.

Asking about the salary and benefits: Asking about the salary and benefits before the issue is raised by the interviewers, shows you are money minded person rather than responsibility oriented person. If at all the salary issue is raised, hold the discussion till the end of the interview. Have a clear assessment of your competitive value according to your skills, experience and make realistic expectations of the salary. There is nothing wrong in negotiating the salary, benefits and other perks given by the company; when the salary aspect is raised. But, do it in a pleasing way. Never present a wrong picture of current salary. Don't extend negotiations till you loose the good will of the employer.

Not replying when asked Do you have any questions?

-At the close of the interview the interviewers ask you

-Do you have any question?

- If you don't reply, it means you did not understand the whole discussion or you are not interested in working the company. Have a list of 5-10 questions you want to ask the employer. If you want to work for them, tell them you are very interested and excited about the Possibilities.

- What is the next step

- How much opportunity will I have for decision-making in my first assignment

-How much guidance or assistance is made available to individuals in developing career goals?

-What is your organization's policy on transfers to other cities? Are some of the sample questions to be asked.

Switching on the cell phone: This is one of the most common things one should remember; to switch off the cell phone. Ringing of the cell in midst of the interview distracts the interviewer's and it also gives a negative sense about you.

Checking the time frequently: Some times, when the discussion runs long, it is human tendency to see the watch or wall clock frequently. Perhaps you should take off your watch prior to the interview; so that you have no chance of accidentally looking at your wrist. It shows your lack of interest in the interview or that you want to make a move.

Not remembering the name of the person you are interviewing with: We often blank out and fail to recollect small things like the name of the interviewer. If you realize this ahead of time, you may find it in the company's website or in the staff directory of the company. If it is too late to realize till you shake your hands with the interviewer, don't panic. Just ease yourself because this is a very tiny mistake. What you need to do is, introduce yourself and apologize for having being so excited to meet with them, that you had accidentally forgotten their name. Remember, we are all human beings, and we experience uniquely similar emotions. Be transparent and let your personality save you, when you make this minor mistake.

Slip of tongue: This is the common error which people make because of their over confidence. They try to stick on to their own views and think that they are superior to the interviewer in skills and experience, and this reflects in their actions. They often unknowingly interrupt the interviewers and end up conveying a wrong thing, infer the wrong idea, or blurt out an insult or profanity. Any of these slips of the tongue can throw you out of the interview race. Concentrate on what you say, so that it comes out in a good and intelligible way and not in an incoherent way.

Not Following-up: Many people think that it is not necessary to follow up the interviewer's after the interview is over.But, this is again a common misconception that the job seekers have. It is always good to get the names and addresses of all the interviewers and send them a thank-you note, mostly by an e-mail or any other convenient way of communication. This will not only leave a positive impression but also help you to get a quick feedback on your interview. Avoiding mistakes and following some simple and easy rules enhances your possibility of winning the interviews.