So, you have finally received the desired call for a job interview and it looks like someone has actually read and found your CV interesting? Congratulations. But, don’t get too excited because you have completed only half of the task. The interview itself is considered to be the most important part of this process. If you want to complete this phase successfully you need to avoid some common mistakes.
- Don’t talk bad about your former employer
A negative attitude towards former employer shows that you are a negative person who lives in the past and carries unsolved problems. Of course, the employer will ask themselves what you will talk about them once in case you loose your job at their company and this is a legitimate question. You will also leave an impression that you are one of those people who constantly produces gossips about their colleagues and simply can’t find good words for their coworkers. The solution is to be positive and don’t mention that you have left your last job with unsolved problems.
- Don’t miss the chance to show your skills and qualifications
The interview usually consists of sets of question through which the candidate can prove their qualifications and show that they are the right persons for the job. The most common mistake that candidates make is to forget to add examples and past results to the answers on these questions. During the interview you will get a chance to show that your previous employer profited from your skills and qualifications. The overall quality of the answers will show that you have been serious about your former job and that you certainly know your individual responsibilities.
- Avoid commenting on social media networks
The days when social media networks were used only for small talks are long gone. You should be fully aware that many companies use social media networks to check the candidates. There is a good chance that your potential employer has visited your profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google + before you came at the interview. The impression you leave on social networks is really important and it can tell a lot about you as a person. So, be careful what you publish or use more strict privacy settings. You should also avoid making comments about previous interviews on these networks or online forums and discussion boards. It is quite easy for the person performing the interview to figure out that the comments were made by you and they will definitely eliminate you from the process of finding a new employee.
- Miss the chance to ask a question
If the interview is finished and you don’t ask at least one question this may be interpreted as a lack of interest. Besides that, it is hard to believe that you understand everything and that you don’t need any explanation. This situation can be compared to collaboration between two business partners where the one side doesn’t care who the other side is. This is exactly what an interviews is – conversation between two equal sides. Of course, it is possible that sometimes during the job interview all questions are answered and you simply don’t need and feel that you should ask additional questions. In these cases it is better to say that you had some questions, but they were all cleared thanks to the professionally performed interview.