9 ways you totally screwed up that job interview

As June rolls ever closer and a new spate of graduates start looking for gainful employment, the job market becomes even more competitive. In the fickle world that is the job hunt, the smallest details matter to hiring managers, everything from the firmness of your handshake to how your tie sits on your shirt. These are the 9 things you most likely did in your last interview to cock it up, and how to make sure you don’t make these mistakes again:

Appearance

Let’s start with a big one. Got the dress code slightly wrong? That’s sure to count against you if the office is a knotted up, no-bright-socks kind of place and you’ve turned up without a tie and a poorly tailored jacket.

Required reading: How to be the best dressed man in the office

Not knowing your CV

If you’ve got the interview, it’s likely that your CV fits the bill, but do you know it back-to-front, cover-to-cover, backwards, sideways and upside down? The correct answer is at least back-to-front. You should be able to back up every claim and not be thrown by any questions they have about it.

Required reading: The 10 most common mistakes people make on their CVs

Social media

Google yourself, ideally in private browsing, so the results aren’t altered. What you see is what your potential boss will see – that foulmouthed Twitter rant, boozy Instagram photo and inappropriate Facebook status are all going to count against you. Time to do a bit of a clear up on your social media, gentlemen.

Required reading: The dos and don’ts of social media

Timing

Arriving late, you’d be lucky to have got in the door. Too early? They’re going to wonder why you’ve had nothing else to do today and being too early is almost as bad, if not on parity, with being late. Turn up 5-10 minutes before and if you want to make sure you’re on time, plan to go early and sit in a coffee shop studying up on your CV.

Unpreparedness

Forget your CV? Only bring one copy? What about a pen? These are all things you should have thought about. Three copies of your CV is an ideal number to bring with you – it’s likely you’ll have more than one interviewer, plus one for yourself if needs be. On that note, also ensure you’ve done your homework. You should have the knowledge to take a exam on the company and the job spec should be burned into your retinas.

Your phone made a noise, more than once

It was once said that having your genitalia resting on the dinner table would be less rude then being sat there on your phone. Whilst it’s maybe an exaggeration, possibly, the sentiment still applies and is perfectly relevant here. Before you go in, put your phone on aeroplane mode, or better yet, turn it off. Not only is it distracting when a phone goes off and could put you off your flow mid sentence, it’s horrendously rude for it to happen more than once.

Manners

Everyone you speak to, from the moment you arrive, is the person you need to impress. Slightly rude to the receptionist or the guy who was hurriedly exiting the building as you attempted to walk in? They could well be having lunch with the person you hope is about to enable you to pay your rent next month.

Body Language

Be firm but not aggressive with your handshakes. Limp ones are often remembered, or forgotten – both are as bad as each other. Don’t walk in with your hands in your pockets or shoulders slouched, neither make a good impression. Look your interviewer in the eye, or the tip of their nose, and sit up straight.

Required reading: How to master the handshake

Waffle

Brevity is vital when it comes to your answers. If you’re babbling on about rubbish that isn’t relevant, the employer is going to be wondering if you’re just as long winded about your work, or just sat there a bit bored. Keep answers short and sweet, speak clearly and enunciate correctly.

Now read: 10 steps to nailing a job interview

(Images: AMC)

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