One of the most common mistakes job seekers make is failing to master effective interviewing. Here are some interviewing guidelines to help you wow employers, whether it being a telephonic or in-person interview.
Telephonic Interviews:
- These tend to feel more relaxed and casual and the candidate can easily come across as too casual with a wishy-washy tone that could translate to the employer that they may have a slacker on board.
- Try to stand and walk around during telephone interviews as to promote a proactive and confident tone of voice.
- Answer ‘yes’ as honestly as possible rather than getting off the topic.
- Avoid telling the employer more than they need to know as this may end up reflecting badly on you.
In-person Interviews
- Avoid being overly casual and maintain eye contact upon greeting your interviewer.
- Always try to make a good first impression by dressing in a formal manner. The general rule of thumb is government employees and executive positions are usually a formal dress code whereby many technology companies adopt a more casual dress code.
- Do your research and ask relevant questions.
Other Mistakes are:
- Avoid asking the employer about salary and holiday / leave time.
- Your body language is very important and can give tell tale signs to the employer that you might find the interview boring, questions too difficult or that you may not be a team player. Always adopt an open outlook and meet your interviewer’s eyes when answering their questions. Avoid looking at your watch, folding your arms, eye-rolling or frowning.
- Never answer your mobile phone or text during an interview, rather turn your mobile off completely during your interview.
Inflating Your CV
As tempting as it may seem to ‘beef up’ your CV in today’s competitive market, this will be a sure way to guarantee that it will be immediately binned if the employer suspects that you have not been honest about your skills and experiences. Always highlight relevant experiences but remember it is not worth lying to land the position.
Errors on Cover Letters and CV No-No’s
Employers always look for spelling and grammar errors on both the curriculum vitae and accompanying cover letter. It is essential that you use proper grammar, punctuation and your spelling is accurate. Run- on sentences should be avoided as well as misplaced apostrophes and the improper use of capitalization, which will make you appear to be unqualified and uneducated.