5 Interview Blunders

For the past few weeks I have dealt with issues surrounding interviews, both face-to-face and phone interviews, looking at some of the questions you may run into. Now I would like to turn to looking at some of the no-no's that can mess up a good interview. Hopefully applying some of these tips will increase your chances during your job search.


1. Prepare, prepare, prepare: Do not walk into an interview without first doing some background information on the company and position. When you sit down in the interview and are asked to tell what you know about the mission of the company, be sure you have an answer. Nowadays most all businesses have an internet presence, so doing some research is much easier than in decades past. Read through the background information for a company and be familiar with a bit of the history and main target audience. To ignore this aspect may just cut your interview success short.


2. Watch Your Mouth: I am not speaking of language here (though that is important too), but all aspects of the mouth. When you enter an interview, leave behind all items such as gum, food, coffee, etc. and by all means do not even consider answering your cell phone. Turn it off until you are done, and use your mouth at this time to strictly perform the necessary functions of the interview.


3. Tongue Control: There can be a fine line between talking too little and blabbing too much. One of the key tips you'll see on most interview tip articles is to never offer too much information if not needed. Answer the questions concisely, professionally and directly, without straying down any rabbit trails or long detailed back-stories. On the other hand, speak with enough words to give the proper details, and avoid just yes-and-no type answers as much as possible.


4. Know Yourself: This is a look back at the posting I discussed a few weeks ago on filling out a job application. While you may have already submitted a resume, you will probably still be asked to complete a job application for the reasons discussed in Application Forms: Important?. Be sure you know the information on your resume very well (or have additional copies with you) so that the information on both completely match. Contradicting information between the two, even when minor, may throw enough question into the mix to get you passed over.


5. Pay Attention: Listening to the interviewer is extremely important. Do not get distracted, but stay focused on what is being discussed. If you feel you missed something or did not fully understand, then stop them and ask for clarification. It can look seriously bad if, after they give their presentation, you turn around and ask a question that was already dealt with by them.


Have you ever made a major blunder during an interview? Please share in the comments below.


Jeff McCormack resides in Virginia Beach, VA. where he works as a web designer by day. In his off time he is a husband, father, mail order book store manager, and musician. Aside from being a freelance writer for this Logistics Jobsite blog, he also seeks to assist in career choices and information by contributing to other Nexxt blog sites.