As Human Resources professionals (or aspiring ones!), we all know that showing up late to an interview or dressing sloppily can ruin your chances for a job offer. But what about the more easily-overlooked things that could acreate an interview gone wrong? Don’t let it happen to you! Keep in mind these 10 common subconscious mistakes that you probably don’t even know you’re making.
1. Not Shaking Interviewer’s Hand
Problem: First impressions are vital in an interview. When meeting your interviewer for the first time, there are three faux pas that you need to avoid: Not standing when they enter the room, not shaking their hand, and not looking them in the eye. Each action is disrespectful, and if you are not respectful to your interviewer they’ll assume you won’t be respectful to your future clients. How to Fix It: Make it a practice when you are meeting anyone for the first time. Stand, shake the person’s hand, and look them in the eye. If it’s habit for you, then you won’t even have to think about it when the time comes.
2. Bad Posture
Problem: Displaying less-than-good posture during your interview can make it look like you are lazy or even disrespectful. Reclining might tell the interviewer that you are bored or cocky. Slouching forward gives the impression of nervousness. If you are constantly shifting from one position to another it shows that you are uncomfortable, which in turn can make the interviewer uncomfortable.
How to Fix It: Relax against the back of your chair. Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the floor and engage your core. Avoid sitting up too straight, as that can also make you look uncomfortable. It may sound crazy, but practice sitting at home and see how long you can hold a comfortable position without too much shifting around.
3. Too Many Long Pauses
Problem: Thinking through your answers is always a good idea, but if it takes you longer than10 seconds to start talking, you’ve passed the point of being comfortable. Taking too long to consider a question could imply that you’re mentally slow or aren’t able to handle stressful situations. You need to show that you can roll with the punches.
How to Fix It: Even if you don’t have a solid interview answer prepared in your head, begin with what you do know and expand on it. Once you start, talking can lead to other ideas. Just be careful not to resort to thinking out loud. Slow your speech so that you have a few seconds in between thoughts to consider ideas before you articulate them.
4. Cutting Off the Interviewer
Problem: Showing eagerness and excitement is one thing, but if you are cutting off the interviewer before he has the chance to get the question out, you can come across as rude, as well as incapable of listening — a very important skill in the HR world. In addition, you may end up answering what you thought the question was, instead of the real question. How to Fix It: Make sure you are really, actively listening to each question. Keep your speech patterns slow. Always wait for your interviewer to finish his question, and then think for about five seconds before you answer. This will guarantee that you’ve heard the question and gives you time to structure a well thought out answer.
5. Yawning/Falling Asleep
Problem: It doesn’t matter if you were up until 3 a.m. researching the company, if you yawn during an interview; it shows that you aren’t taking it seriously. A yawn can say a lot: That you’re a party animal who doesn’t get enough sleep, that you don’t know proper time management — and how can you handle HR without good time management skills? — or that you’re simply bored with the entire interview process.How to Fix It: First and most importantly, make sure you get a full night of sleep before the interview. Have some caffeine before the main event — but not too much! Do some yoga. Stretch in the bathroom. Take a quick walk around the block. Anything you can do to get the blood flowing will not only wake you up, but will also help with your response time to questions. (Continue)
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