Avoid These Common Mistakes in a Job Interview

Job interviews are perhaps one of the most difficult and stressful processes of career life. Candidates who manage this stress correctly can express themselves much more accurately and get the chance to get the job they want. I will touch on a few important mistakes that I have encountered most frequently in the recruitment interviews and interview rehearsals I have done so far.

1. Going to the interview unprepared is one of the most important mistakes made. When you receive an interview invitation, be sure to know for which position you are being sought. This can be confusing, especially if you've applied for several different roles for the same organization. Do not forget to learn the name of the position while receiving the interview details on the phone or by e-mail. You can learn about the company's business area, important customers and competitors from business newspapers and magazines. In addition, you can learn about the benefits of the company to its employees and the business culture from the posts shared on social media accounts. When you go by doing this type of research, they will understand that you are really interested in the company.

2. Avoid "I know I'm not the most qualified person, but...". This may show your humility, but it will more likely create a bias that you are unfit for the job. Talk about projects you've worked on and experiences you've had (although it may seem irrelevant). This will help you demonstrate your ability to succeed at work, your learning ability, your problem-solving competence.

3. When describing what is written on your CV, do not confuse the dates and the order of your previous experiences. To avoid this mistake, you can re-read your CV and practice explaining it to yourself. One of the questions most likely to come up in interviews is "Tell me about yourself". Prepare a 3–4-minute answer to this question. Explain what you have done from the past to the present, and why you are targeting the relevant position from the present to the future. Thanks to the preparation you will do on your own, your story will be fluent.

4. At the end of the interview, try to ask questions that demonstrate your interest in the role and organization when they tell you that you can ask questions. For example, even though the job posting says, asking a question like "What about my job description?" can send the message that you apply for every job that comes your way and that this company is not special to you.

5. Do not speak negatively about employers or managers you have worked with before. The golden rule of interviews is to share your kind and positive views of your former co-workers. Specifically, in questions that might weaken you such as "Why did you leave your last job?", avoid answers such as "My manager was very difficult, we couldn't get along".

6. It is very important to prepare before the interview in order to make a good impression at the interview. Think about your experiences, skills you want to highlight, and success stories that you find worth telling. You can find the most frequently asked questions in the interview with a simple internet search. If you have had an interview before, there have been difficult questions for you, try to remember them. Then, prepare your answers for all these questions. Prepare your answers that are not long enough to bore the listener, and that can provide enough information about you, and prepare by reading and repeating on your own.

Interviews are environments where stress and pressure are intense. Therefore, if you think you made a mistake in your answers, if you regret something you said, always explain yourself by saying, "I just said that, but I think I didn't express myself well. Actually, I meant ...". At least they see your awareness of yourself, and they can get to know you better.

Good luck to everyone who will be interviewing.