Photo by: jlz

We all want to do our best at a job interview. I have interviewed thousands of people for various roles and many make the same common mistakes that affects their final interview score and therefore their chances of getting the job.

Here are four tips to help you on your next interview:

1. Never count on your qualifications and experience to outweigh a bad interview. You were invited to the interview because we were impressed by your resume i.e. your qualifications and experience. Too many people think their resume should speak for itself. The interview is scheduled so we can meet YOU, get to know YOU, confirm your resume and figure out if YOU can do the job and fit in with the team and culture of the company. A good resume is a great start but you need to prepare and prove to us that you’re likeable and the best candidate for the job.
2. Never say “I don’t” or “I haven’t” or “I can’t”. Interviewers will only remember/write down a few notes about you and you don’t want them to be negative. Unfortunately, negative comments are usually the easiest to remember 🙁 Rather than saying “I don’t have that particular skill set” or “I’ve never been in charge of staff”, try saying “I have experience training and mentoring staff”. You just need to share the skill set that would be applicable and find the positives in what you have done.
3. Don’t be afraid to show us that you’re excited and want the job. I’m not saying to start the interview off by saying “I really want this job”. We hate when candidates say that before really hearing anything about the role. I would rather hear that you want the job by saying “frequent travel energizes me” or “I love working in a team because I feel I have a lot to contribute to a team environment” and “I’m comfortable in both a leadership or team member role”. You get the point.
4. Be memorable. The truth is that at the end of the interview process we don’t really remember a lot about you, especially if we interviewed a lot of candidates for the same position. We might remember you as “that shy girl” or “that guy from Australia” or “that girl with that top”. Please note – Using your clothing can be a great way to show your unique style but make sure you always look professional. Things are memorable because they are unusual. Why not use this to your advantage and create a memorable note for the interviewers.

At the End of the Day
You only have one shot to make a good impression and this is even more important in a job interview. I think that too many people are aware of the mistakes they are making during an interview and they simply don’t care or think that it won’t affect the outcome. The fact is that a bad interview is a bad interview and if you want the job then you need to bring your A game. Standing out is the name of the game. If your next interview is just before lunch why not bring some chocolate (because everyone loves chocolate!). Not only will it give everyone that needed sugar rush and put them in a better mood for your interview but it’s something they will definitely remember about you and that’s a great thing.