Interviews can be a very nerve-wracking experience for students because of immense pressure to get that job. During the college years, they face the first experience with the corporate world and, in many cases, the experience is not that positive.
Remember these the next time you’re prepping yourself for a new job opportunity.
1. Arriving Late
This is a classic: a student who has poor time management skills arrives at an interview late. It does not really matter to the hiring manager whether you had a real emergency or you just don’t like to get up early in the morning.
How to avoid: get ready to leave your home earlier than usual and ask Google about the traffic in your area.
2. Criticizing your previous employer
When an interviewee says bad things about their past employer, the hiring manager might reasonably think that there is a good chance they’ll do the same again. As the result, your candidacy will be rejected.
How to avoid: when talking about the previous place of employment, avoid stating your personal opinion. Just provide facts and try not to trash-talk.
3. Having a smartphone go off
If you forget to turn off your smartphone, it can go off during the interview and interrupt the conversation. To turn it off, you have to reach in your pocket. How does that make you look? Right, like an unorganized person.
How to avoid: don’t forget to turn off your smartphone before going into the interview room.
4. Not asking any questions
If a person is truly interested in the job, they will ask questions when allowed. Being aloof and uninterested can be appealing to get some reputation in college, but obviously not when you’re trying to persuade a hiring manager that you’re the most qualified person for the position.
How to avoid: if you’re unsure what you can ask, do some research about the company (recent products, organizational culture, etc.) and think about possible questions.
5. Being underdressed
Looking sloppy and unprepared will not impress the hiring manager. Of course, it would be hilarious if you walked up in the interview room in the jeans and the jersey of your college basketball team, but they will profoundly hurt your chances for success.
How to avoid: dress for success. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.
6. Not researching the company before the interview
During an interview, the hiring manager might mention the names of the CEO and other key figures in the organization as well as other information related to the company. If you don’t conduct a research beforehand, you’ll have no idea who are they talking about.
How to avoid: educate yourself about the organization before you go there for an interview.
7. Interrupting the interviewer
If you interrupt the hiring manager during the interview, it shows that you think you’re better than they are. Plus, it rude and inappropriate.
How to avoid: wait for your turn to speak and let the interviewer dominate the conversation.
8. Oversharing
The interviewer is not really interested in how you almost slept through your alarm in the morning or that your roommate likes to stay late listening to music.
How to avoid: if you overshare information like this, the hiring manager will think you’ll have troubles getting to the office on time.
Tools for Interview Preparation for Students
- myinterviewsimulator.com – the program that allows practicing being an interviewee with simulations.
- Interview4.com – practice interviewing with helpful video materials and examples.
- HR Interview Preparation Guide – a popular Android app that contains a lot of interview tips, questions, and answers.
- Assignmenthelper.com.au – the tool for preparing excellent resumes and other materials to impress the interviewer.
- Interviewstream.com – mock interviewing for students to improve their skills necessary to present themselves well to employers.
Lucy Benton is a writing coach, an editor who finds her passion in expressing own thoughts as a blogger. She is constantly looking for the ways to improve her skills and expertise. Also, Lucy has her own blog ProWritingPartner where you can check her last publications. If you’re interested in working with Lucy, you can find her on FaceBook and Twitter.
