5 interview mistakes you should never make

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 00:21:46 +0000

5 interview mistakes you should never make Anonymous (not verified)

If you have ever left a job interview thinking, ‘I could have answered that question better’ then you should know that you are not alone. Even people with years of experience and strong skill sets do not always know how to sell themselves to hiring managers.

If you are looking for a new job or have an interview coming up, it’s important to think about your interviewing techniques.

The best way to avoid the most common interview mistakes is to consciously decide not to make them. Here are five big interview mistakes to consider and avoid:

1. Displaying negativity

Being negative about your existing employer is one of the most common mistakes interviewees make.

Frustrations and clashes arise in all organisations so a potential employer needs to know that you can manage yourself through this rather than simply calling it quits every time frustrations arise. They will want to know how you would behave if you were part of their business. Would you help move people forward or be a negative influence?

2. Lack of confidence and poor interpersonal skills

Bad eye contact, lack of confidence in delivering answers and a weak handshake are typical mistakes made by interviewees. Interpersonal skills are important in most roles, so you need to make the effort to come across as self-assured even if you are nervous.

3. Lack of preparation

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is failing to prepare sufficiently. Great candidates value their careers and work hard to manage them successfully. They would not simply read a company website and presume they know enough about the business.

It’s important to research the company culture as well as the challenges that the company is currently facing. Different things will matter to different people, but well-prepared questions will demonstrate that you have done your homework and are taking the interview seriously.

4. ‘We’ instead of ‘I’

A common mistake is candidates referring to their successes as something that ‘we’ did as opposed to ‘I’. This can leave the more astute interviewer with the impression that the candidate is potentially taking credit for a project/account that they only played a small part in, as opposed to something that they were solely responsible for.

The most important thing is to highlight your achievements and the role you played in success honestly.

5. Not building rapport

In today’s market, shortlists are filled with individuals who are undoubtedly qualified to perform the role but the differentiator is almost entirely around one’s personality and interpersonal skills. This means that either subconsciously or consciously, you’re being assessed from the moment you enter the building.

If you are unable to build rapport with the people who pick you up from the reception area, make your coffee and interview you, you’re going to miss out. A sincere interest in the people you could be working with and the business and organisational culture is a necessity for any job interview.

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Paul Cooper

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5 steps to creating your career plan

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 05:08:24 +0000

5 steps to creating your career plan Anonymous (not verified)

A succinct, detailed career plan is one of the most useful tools you can use to identify where you are, where you want to be, and how to get there. Here are five key steps to help you create your own career plan.

Step 1: Self evaluation

To discover what you really want to do, try answering these fundamental questions about your personality, preferences and values in your career plan:

What motivates me and what do I enjoy doing?
What are my personal attributes and lifestyle priorities?
What do my family and friends see as my strengths and weaknesses?
What are the five key things I am looking for in a job?

Step 2: Skills analysis

As well as your personal preferences, your existing skills are an important indicator of the direction in which you could head. Reflect on your skill set with the following questions:

What qualifications and experience do I have?
What are my key strengths, transferable skills and specific skills?
What are my biggest achievements to date?
What are my weaknesses and areas for development?

Step 3: Setting your direction

Based on your key interests, attributes, skills and experience, you can now start to formulate ideas on the type of roles/industries that will suit you best. Try brainstorming as part of your career plan:

The broad industries that really appeal to you
The types of roles that would suit you best
How these options match your personal preferences
Key skills that may need development

Step 4: Committing to a timeframe

Now that you have an idea of where you want to go, it’s time to work out how you can get there. Ask yourself the following questions to help break down your goals into smaller, more manageable milestones for your career plan:

What do I want to achieve within the next six, twelve, eighteen months?
How and when will I achieve my training and education goals?
How and when will I gain the additional skills and experience I need?
How can I expand my network, and by when?

Step 5: Review your career plan

Having established your goals and how to achieve them, you will now have a clear pathway in which to head. It’s important to monitor the progress of your career plan at least every six months, to ensure that you are on track to meet your goals. Re-evaluating your career plan and goals allows you to make adjustments based on changing economic and personal circumstances.

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Michael Page

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seriously useful

5 interview mistakes you should never make

1. Displaying negativity

2. Lack of confidence and poor interpersonal skills

3. Lack of preparation

4. ‘We’ instead of ‘I’

5. Not building rapport

Join over 60,000 readers!

Topics

Popular articles

5 steps to creating your career plan

Step 1: Self evaluation

Step 2: Skills analysis

Step 3: Setting your direction

Step 4: Committing to a timeframe

Step 5: Review your career plan

Join over 60,000 readers!

Topics

Popular articles