The Seven Deadly Sins of Interviewing

Year after year I keep telling myself, "This group of graduates will be smarter." Then they go out to their interviews and make the same typical mistakes. I realize that this information maybe fairly common, but so are the mistakes. Let me try to make them easier to prevent with this simple little list.

1. First impressions do matter. Dress your best and be conservative. The employer assumes that this is the best you are ever going to look and it is downhill from here. Poor personal appearance tells the employer you do not care very much about this interview. Rings and things on places other than your hands and ears are also not universally accepted. Watch out for a limp handshake. A handshake is the business "hug". How do you feel when you hug someone and they don't hug you back or when they won't let go? Firm and brief is the rule to follow.

    

    

2. A poorly filled out application. Most employers interpret how you complete their application as a strong indication of how you will handle paper work. Late arrival. Being late for an interview shows a lack of planning or arrogance that your time is more important than theirs. Drive to the interview the day before and ask for an application to take home and neatly complete. Now you know exactly how long the drive to the interview is and you will be able to find all the addresses and phone numbers requested on the application.

    

    

3. Don't forget that the interview starts the minute you enter the company. I have learned that the person at the front desk secretly runs most companies. Don't chew gum, make loud sighing noises, use your cell phone or pace the lobby. If you are a jerk in the lobby, the hiring authority will be told. Remember to bring a pen and don't ask the receptionist for one to use. When you hand in your completed application be sure to include a copy of your resume.

    

    

4. Inability to express thoughts clearly, poor diction and grammar. Slang expressions and obscenities demonstrate the limited size of your vocabulary and intelligence. Also watch out for a lack of tact, maturity, or courtesy. Correcting the interviewer on some unimportant point or interrupting him or her is as foolish as talking back to the judge in court; both mistakes will get you condemned.

    

    

5. Lack of planning or a lack of focus in your job search is equally deadly. If you don't know where you are going, any path will keep you lost. A goal is a wish with a deadline. You do not need to know exactly where you want to work, but you should have an idea of where you would like to be in the future. Telling the employer that you are interviewing in a variety of areas is the kiss of death. There should be a logical thread that runs between your various interviews. The shotgun approach can backfire.

    

    

6. Evasiveness or rationalizing unfavorable points in your background only make you look bad. Those who rationalize have never learned from their mistakes. Condemnation of past employers is another form of evasiveness. If you say your past employers were all jerks, this potential employer will be one will be as well, and everyone you work with will be fools.

    

    

7. Finally the biggest sin of all; indifference. If you don't care about the interview, don't go. You are not only wasting the interviewer's time, but your own too.

    

I know you are smarter than the average interviewer and you are willing to avoid these pitfalls. The ones who make these mistakes are not smart enough to even read this article. So, congratulations, you are already ahead of the competition.