Avoid Costly Interview Mistakes

If you have secured a job interview then you have obviously impressed the potential employer or recruitment agency with your cv or application form and your skills, experience and qualifications. However, it is worth nothing if you do not perform at interview, many candidates can have the best attributes for the job but making silly mistakes during the interview can be costly. Here are a few common and often very costly mistakes made by candidates;

Timing; if you are running late, phone the company and explain, don't just turn up 20 minutes late and expect they will still want to interview you.

Appearance; dress appropriately for the interview, in most cases a suit / smart business dress is expected but even for unskilled jobs turning up in dirty trainers, ripped jeans etc will never create a good first impression.
Being negative; too many candidates will talk negatively about previous employers, job roles, colleagues etc, this won't reflect badly on them, it will reflect badly on you. Always try to talk about the positives and where necessary turn the negatives into positives

Remember what is on your cv; do not lie on your cv, there is a good chance you will be found out when the interviewer starts asking questions, always be honest, but not always too honest none of us want our employers to know everything about us!

Mobile phone; make sure it is turned off, or at least on silent
Body language; job interviews can be a nervous experience, but try not to show it. Not maintaining eye contact can make you look like you lack confidence or are just not interested, fidgeting, scratching, playing with hair etc can give the same impression

Salary; do not mention salary until the end of interview, unless it is discussed by the interviewer first, asking about the salary too early or at the wrong time can give the impression you are only interested in the money
Think before you speak; we all say the wrong thing sometimes but job interviews are certainly not the place for an accidental slip of the tongue, think about what you are saying and remember you are in an interview not an informal chat with a friend

Not preparing; turning up at the interview without knowing much about the job or the company and not having any questions of your own prepared. Why would they employ you if you haven't even found out what and who you are being interviewed for?

Article Source:EzineArticles.com