Some big-time job interview mistakes practically go without saying: inappropriate outfits, showing up late, taking a cell phone call, and using foul language. If you are guilty of any of these, you deserve the rejection you will surely get.

But there are other errors, more subtle, which you could be making without realizing it. Even though these are not necessarily deal breakers, they could still prevent you from getting an offer. Avoid them and give yourself a much better chance at your next job:

Not researching the company

Researching the company goes beyond a cursory Google search. Find out everything you can. What do they do? In which industry are they? Who are their competitors? What’s their history? A lot of this information is on their website. You don’t want to be asking something during the interview that you could have found online. If you’re well prepared, you will favorably impress the hiring manager, and you will boost the overall quality of the interview significantly.

Failing to practice interview answers

While you can’t predict every interview question, you can anticipate many of them. Practice answering them until you can do it with little effort. When you are prepared, you’ll be able to control your anxiety because you know you won’t choke up when the questions start coming. There is no excuse for tripping over common interview questions, so practice your answers.

Using weak and negative language

If one of your goals in a job interview is to inspire confidence (and it should be!), don’t get caught up in weak language that does the opposite. Weak words and phrases, such as “fine,” “hopefully,” “maybe,” “if it works out,” “it seems” and so on, will undercut the interviewer’s confidence in you. The same goes for negative words like “terrible,” “horrible,” “awful,” “hate,” etc. Replace them all with positive language: “I can,” “I will,” “I have,” and so on.

Asking about salary

Never ask about salary during the interview process. Potential employers might get the idea that you are only interested in the money rather than being concerned about fitting in with the company’s values and helping to fulfill their mission. First, make them want to hire you. Then you can start talking about salary. Remember, without a job offer, there is nothing to discuss.

Not following up

Don’t give the company the impression that you aren’t all that interested in being hired. That’s what you do when you fail to follow up. Before you leave the interview, ask them what their timeline is for making a decision. Then send them a thank you note and call to follow up. It’s this kind of professional persistence that can pay off in an offer.

Do you need more help with your interview?

Give us a call! We are HCR Personnel Solutions, a leading manufacturing recruitment agency in Canada that recruits top professionals for exceptional career opportunities.

 

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