Interviewing 101: Common Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

First impressions are everything, body language, eye contact and appearing approachable are all important from the moment you step into the interview.

While interviews can be nerve-wracking, there are some key things you need to be conscious of.

How to make a good first impression: 

• Be on time – If possible, try doing a trial run of the journey to the interview location so you know exactly where you need to go. Whether you’re getting public transport or driving/ walking to the interview location yourself, plan enough time for something to go wrong so you’re not rushing if there is extra traffic, diversions or delayed public transport. If your interview is online, make sure to join the call lobby a few minutes early and familiarise yourself with the video call software you are using.
• Greet your interviewer – Smile, introduce yourself and shake their hand.
• Take your coat off – Even if the interviewer does not offer to take your coat or jacket, take it off and put it on the chair behind you. Don’t sit and do your interview in a winter puffer coat!
• Eye contact – Maintain eye contact while talking or being spoken to. Don’t get distracted by the room décor or speak to the table. You’re being interviewed, so look at the interviewer.
• Be mindful of your environment for online interviews – For online interviews, try to find a quiet location where there are going to be no distractions. Having a non-distracting background will also help – most video call systems will let you blur your background or put up a green screen if you can’t find an appropriate space!

How to ease nerves

• Come prepared – Do your research on the company and study the job description. This will ease nerves by helping you feel more prepared.
• Know your CV – As straightforward as it sounds, familiarise yourself with your CV and what you included when you applied. While it’s good to regularly update your CV as well as tailor your CV towards job applications, it can get confusing to keep track of what you’ve included if you’re not careful.
• Take a sip of water before answering a question – If you need extra thinking time, taking a sip of water can buy you a few seconds of thinking time. This works in both online and in-person interviews.
• Prioritise self-care – Make sure you are getting enough sleep, especially leading up to the interview. Eat healthy meals to ensure you have enough energy to remain engaged and avoid food or drinks that could contribute to jitters or anxiety, such as excessive caffeine.

Believe it or not, failing to research the company is one of the most common mistakes candidates make. While it sounds obvious, generally employers want to see that you’ve taken the time to understand their organisation and how you could contribute.

What to Do Instead:

• Understand the Mission and Vision: Review the company’s mission statement and core values. How do these align with your own goals and values?
• Learn about recent achievements: Browse news articles, press releases, or the company’s blog to understand recent successes or initiatives. Did they launch a new product, expand into a new market, or win an award? When possible, try to reference these in your interview to show genuine interest.
• Check social media channels: Explore their LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter accounts to get a sense of their culture, ongoing projects, and recent updates.
• Dive into the job role: Analyse the job description carefully. Think about how the role contributes to the company’s overall mission and strategy. Reflect on your unique skills and experiences that make you the perfect fit.

Striking the right balance between detail and brevity can be challenging. Rambling can dilute your message, but being too brief can make you seem uninterested or unprepared – it’s important to be concise and give the interviewer exactly what they want.

The Solution? Practise answering your interview answers using the STAR Method

The STAR technique ensures your answers are structured and impactful:

• S – Situation: Briefly describe the context.
  • “At my previous company, we faced declining customer satisfaction scores due to delayed order processing.”
• T – Task: Explain your role in addressing the issue.
  • “I was tasked with optimising the order management system to improve efficiency.”
• A – Action: Share the specific steps you took.
  • “I collaborated with the IT department to automate key processes and trained the team on new workflows.”
• R – Result: Highlight the positive outcome.
  • “This resulted in a 30% reduction in processing time and a 15-point increase in customer satisfaction scores.”

Interviewing is a two way street, a good interviewer will provide you with just as much opportunity for you to ask questions about the company or role.

When the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for us?” this is your opportunity to shine. Saying “no” can make you appear uninterested and disengaged.

Come prepared with some questions to ask at the end of your interview, whether it’s about your role specifically or the company. Ideally, it’s important to come with multiple questions in mind, as there is a high likelihood that a few of them will get answered during the interview.

Examples of questions you could ask include:

• “What does a typical day in this role look like?”
• “What are the company’s growth plans for the next five years?”
• “Can you share more about the team I’d be working with?”
• “Are there opportunities for professional development or upskilling?”
• “Is there any other software or tools we’ve not already discussed that I might need to use in this role?”

While it’s important to be concise and to the point during interview questions, it’s still good to show some personality; be enthusiastic, let your excitement for a potential new opportunity shine through!

How to Show Enthusiasm:

• Let your passion shine: Share what excites you most about the role or the company. For example, “I’m particularly impressed by your commitment to X and I’d love to contribute to that mission.”
• Maintain positive body language: As mentioned earlier, first impressions are important, shake hands when you are greeted by your interviewer, remember to take any coats or jackets off and hang them up on your chair before you sit down, smile, make eye contact, and avoid crossing your arms, these subtle cues convey confidence and enthusiasm.
• Speak with energy: Keep your tone upbeat, even when answering technical questions. A monotone response can make you appear disinterested.
• Reiterate your enthusiasm at the end: If nerves make you appear less enthusiastic, prepare a closing statement that reiterates your interest, even something as simple as “Thank you for this opportunity. I’m genuinely excited about the role!”. You could also ask about timelines in terms of feedback and next steps to demonstrate you are engaged with the process and eager to hear back.

By avoiding these common mistakes and preparing thoroughly, you’ll be well on your way to acing your next job interview. Remember, every interview is a learning experience, so regardless of what the outcome may be, take the time to reflect and improve for the next one.

For further tips about acing your interviews, refining your CV and approaching recruitment agencies, read our related articles: 

• Interview Tips: How to Ace your Interview 
• The 5C’s of Perfecting your CV
• How to Tailor your CV to a Job
• How to Approach a Recruitment Company as a Job Seeker