The Top 10 interview mistakes and how to

avoid them

Our friends over at the Recruiting Times recently published an article (which you can

read here) which outlines the top 10 most common interview mistakes as stated by

employers. Here they are below:

1. Failing to do their research

2. Showing off

3. Asking no questions

4. Not acting interested or engaged with the interviewer

5. Making up answers

6. Lying about achievements

7. Not dressing appropriately

8. Rambling on

9. Failing to explain what they will bring to the role

10. Moaning about their current employer

A lot of these mistakes will be familiar to you, some of them you may even have

been guilty of at times, but what the article doesn’t say is how to deal with these

pitfalls. I know I’m guilty of rambling on, even when I’m just getting a coffee and

when I’m nervous this is even more exasperated. But we here at Step have grown

used to this old interview process thing and we’ve picked up a few tips and tricks that

should help you to deal with these traps. So in this guide of sorts, we’ll show you

how to deal with each mistake one by one

1. Failing to do their research

Now this one doesn’t necessarily just include the people that haven’t bothered to do

the bare minimum. These days just having a glance at the company website isn’t

enough. Research the field, know what market you are about to enter, what does the

business sell? Who are their competitors? Who is their target audience? Check out

the social media if they have a presence and think about what they are trying to do

with their marketing.

Furthermore really read the job spec. Don’t just brush off unfamiliar terms,

extensively learn what they mean and how they reflect on the role. Understand your

role within the business and how exactly you’ll be contributing to operations.

2. Showing off and 7. Lying about achievements

I’ve grouped these two together because they are essentially the same thing. Now

interviews are about showing your skills, don’t misunderstand that. They are very

much about demonstrating why you are right for the role and what you can bring to

the table. However, there is a fine line between demonstrating your abilities and

boasting. Speak confidently, but be aware of your weaknesses and areas for

improvement. No one is perfect and it’s absolutely fine to admit where you have

areas that you can improve your knowledge.

Also make sure you are truthful and accurate about what you can do and your skill

levels. If you do lie or exaggerate your capabilities you are only going to get into a

mess and found out when it comes to actually doing the work.

3. Asking no questions and 4. Not acting interested or engaged with the

employer

Again I think these two are tied in together. Enthusiasm is incredibly important in an

interview. Show your passion! Ultimately if you’re going to be doing something full

time you should be happy, so demonstrate that. Employers want to know that you

will be happy in the role because a fulfilled worker is a more productive worker.

Asking questions is an important part of illustrating your interest. It shows that you

are committed to the role, that you haven’t just turned up to the interview for the sake

of it and that you can actually envision yourself in the position.

I know it isn’t easy to remember everything you want to say in an interview, but here

are a couple of questions that are relevant for any interview:

What plans does the company have for the future? (This shows that you are

committed to a long term stay)

What can you tell me about the team that I will be working with? (This shows that

you are thinking about your relationship with the team and how to best

integrate yourself)

What challenges will I face in the role? (This shows that you are looking forward

to learning in the role and approaching challenges head on)

4. Not dressing appropriately

If this is ever a concern then ask! But the safest bet is to dress formally. There is no

such thing as being overdressed for an interview but being dressed too casually

would be a mistake that is so easy to avoid. Furthermore, unless you’re planning on

interviewing to be in Mad Men it really doesn’t have to be the top of the line suit, a

shirt and tie is more than acceptable.

5. Rambling on

This one is partly confusing because it’s a matter of interpretation as to what

“rambling on” actually is. But some good pieces of advice are:

Explain your answers clearly. The person interviewing you (especially if it is a HR

manager) might not always have the technical knowledge that you do and if this is

the case then try and explain things in terms that anyone can understand.

If you’ve misheard a question don’t try to hazard an answer, just politely ask for the

question to be repeated

6. Failing to explain what they will bring to the role

If you have properly done your research as outlined in point one this point should be

no problem to overcome. Mainly you’ll gain this knowledge from the job spec. What

are they asking you to do day-to-day? What skills are required? What type of person

is required? Think about how you can deliver all of those requirements and then

think about what else you can bring. Avoid wishy-washy answers that everyone can

say (I work well in a team and on my own! I’m determined and punctual!) And

instead look for examples from your experience.

7. Moaning about their current employer

Again this is another one that is very easy one to avoid. Unless there is legality

involved always keep your reasons for leaving professional and in most cases

people tend to have more than one reason to leave anyway. Change of ambition,

progression wasn’t moving as I expected, looking for more responsibility are three

perfectly acceptable answers. Furthermore always try to mention the positives from a

previous role, talk about the new skills that you learnt, how you enjoyed the

environment and finally how you will take these experiences into the new role.

Hopefully these answers will go some way into making the interview process less

nerve wracking. Avoiding these mistakes really is easy.