If you are familiar with people who work in human resources and hiring services, they will be sure to tell you of many experiences where they encountered applications that really looked great on paper but when the actual people behind these applications turned up to be interviewed, they turned out to be disasters. You don't have to suffer the same fate; you can take note of the mistakes these individuals have made and prepare yourself for career success. You have to learn to make a good first impression by avoiding these four major mistakes which job seekers tend to make regularly and convince the interviewers that you are even much better in person than on paper. Avoid these blunders:
Failure to Prepare for Questions
Most people plan for interviews by setting a few interview questions for themselves and then preparing to respond to these specific questions, this is a very wrong move to make. Preparation is best for all possible eventualities or you rather not prepare at all. Think of it, what if you make up your mind to answer a set of specific questions and you end up being caught unawares and unprepared, how will that make you look? If you need preparation, you best think of as many possible questions as you can and anticipate as many possible eventualities as possible. In the end you will also have to learn not to rely too much on the questions you anticipate (you can't possibly get them all, can you?) but your readiness to answer any that come your way.
Lack of Effective Communication
Impressing your interviewers and satisfying them with your responses is called effective communication, failure to effectively communicate leads to failure to be understood and failure to get the message across of how beneficial an employee you can be to the organization or establishment in question. Match the style of the interviewer asking questions when you answer them. If the interviewer is brisk and business-like, don't attempt any jokes but respond in an equally business-like manner instead. Any questions that are directly asked should be directly answered as well.
Excessive Talking
Excessive talkers are a problem in any interviewing situation, interviewers will tell you this as well. Sometimes the excessive talk is due to over exuberance and sometimes it is due to the desire of the interviewee to over-compensate for what they perceive to be their own weaknesses. Whatever the precise case, being over-talkative is seen as a sign of weakness. Avoid taking an excessive amount of time to answer direct questions, get to the point. Never talk nervously as it indicates you're either covering up for certain unclear deficiencies or that you are lying when you may not be.
Badmouthing Previous Bosses
Not all employers are Santa Claus and his band of merry elves but even if your previous employer was the Grinch Who Stole Christmas keep the sad stories out of your interview. Never express ill-feelings held about your previous employer or work situation. When it comes to challenges you experienced with your previous employer which were subject to negativity, learn to spin your experiences in a positive light.
