3 Scary Interview Mistakes

Interviewing requires you to think quickly on your feet and sift through your background for the best examples that demonstrate your skills, abilities and experiences pertaining to the position. Often, the most anticipated interview questions give candidates the biggest grief and lead to responses that frighten employers. Don’t scare the employer away with these 3 interview mistakes.

1. You are clueless about the company.

In many interview situations, the interviewer will ask you to share your knowledge of the company and the position. Typical questions may be phrased as “What do you know about our company?” or “Why are you interested in this position?” Applicants who struggle with their responses demonstrate to the employers a lack of adequate preparation or lack of enthusiasm for the job. Before attending the interview research the company to learn about their products, services, locations and main mission and think of a few aspects about the job description that appeal most to you. Bonus points: When describing your interest in the position, also highlight how your skills are suited for the job.

2.  You don’t share how you are improving upon your weaknesses.

Let’s face it. Talking about weaknesses and failures is the last thing any candidate wants to do when trying to convince an employer to hire them. Often they will quickly gloss over the topic with a quick response or use a cliché like, “I’m too much of a perfectionist.” The employer’s true motive for asking about weaknesses is to see that the candidate can identify problem areas and actively work to improve them or overcome them.  When discussing this topic in the interview, first make sure the weakness isn’t one that will impede your ability to perform the job and then wrap up your response by highlighting how you’ve improved upon that weakness.

3.You aren’t sure what makes you stand out from other candidates.

By the time a candidate reaches the interview phase of the hiring process, the employer has a pretty good inkling that they have the skills and abilities to perform the job. During the interview process, they are trying to find the candidate who will be the best fit for their position and the team. When asked to describe what makes them stand out from other applicants, many candidates freeze and struggle to highlight their top selling points. Prior to the interview take time to review the job description closely and note ways in which your background is uniquely suited for the position. Think about the products and people with whom you will be working and identify specifically how your skills and background tie into the company’s mission and culture.