Don’t Make These Costly First Interview Mistakes!

You can never take a first impression for granted, especially in an interview! When you’re being judged compared to your peers, every little fact can make or break your chances of getting the job. Even the smallest mistake can be costly.

You always want to stand out in an interview—just make sure it’s for a good reason! We’ll analyze some of the most frequent mistakes job seekers make in the quest for a new career. Commit these penalties at your own peril!

Arriving late

This is an obvious one, but you should make sure you’re able to be on time for your interview. Outside circumstances obviously happen, but account for potential hiccups by making extra time. It’s the best practice to arrive a few minutes early anyway. Make sure to research the proper route to the physical location, or make sure all distractions are accounted for if it’s a phone or video interview. Appearing unprepared is a great way to not get the job.

Not researching the organization

Speaking of a lack of preparation, if your early questions for your interviewer consist of “what does this company do?” or “what do you do here?” you’ve just shown your hand that you didn’t do prior research.

PushFar states “what do you know about our company?” as one of the most common questions you’ll be asked by an interviewer. While they may have their own spiel to give you about their organization, they’ll expect you to have done some research. Going into the interview blind gives an impression of a lack of interest and drive, and they may think you don’t care about the position.

We always recommend doing your prior research before getting to your interview, in fact, you should do this research before even applying to see if it’s a place you want to work for. Sophia Bernazzani says you can prove you’ve done your homework by asking questions related to the interviewer and their accomplishments.

“”I read that you helped launch a new product last year. How was that experience?”

Ask a question that shows you’ve done your research – and starts an interesting discussion.” -Sophia Bernazzani

In a similar vein, avoid saying “I don’t know” to any questions you’re asked. This shows not only a lack of preparation but creativity as well. Even if the question is tough, ask for a moment to gather your thoughts and at least try to come up with something.

Saying “It’s on my resume.”

When applying for jobs, needing to retype information easily found on your resume is a chore, and not every website has adapted to a modern job search. But when an interviewer asks about your past experiences, don’t refer them to your resume in a tiff. There’s a reason they are asking, and it doesn’t have to do with them not doing their research!

“If a recruiter is asking you about a certain skill, don’t reference your resume, and instead use it as your moment to shine.” –Nando Rodriguez, Ogilvy & Mather

Forbes’ Jack Kelly discusses that many job seekers will get offended and assume the interviewer isn’t prepared, but this isn’t the case. The interviewer wants to hear you communicate your skills and accomplishments and ideally relate them to how you’ll use them in this new position. They want to gauge your social skills and see how you articulate your abilities in person.

Letting the conversation become too casual

We’ve said that when an interview turns conversational, that’s usually a good time. Being able to connect with the hiring manager and prove you’ll be a good cultural fit is great, but recall that you’re still in an interview. Don’t mistake of letting things become too casual.

It’s never good to start dropping swears in an interview setting, even if the hiring manager does, reminds Sophia Bernazzani. Stay alert even when things take a personal turn, and make sure you won’t say anything you’ll regret just because you feel comfortable in the moment.

“You are less likely to use unprofessional language during an interview when you slow down, take your time to think about your response and focus on speaking clearly.” –Indeed

Badmouthing previous employers

This is a point we stress often, but it’s never a good idea to bash your previous employer, even if your last job was the actual worst. Think of it like dating—no one ever wants to hear their date talk about their ex the entire time.

The Muse says to at least focus on something you learned at your previous job while keeping a neutral or positive tone. While the interviewer will definitely ask about your previous job, they care most about what you can do for them. Focus on the future, not the past!

Wrap up

Even if some of these tips seem obvious, it can be easy to let a mistake slip in the heat of the moment. The more preparation you accomplish, the less likely you are to commit one of these errors. Self-awareness is at the heart of a good interview, and understanding the pitfalls other job seekers commonly make can help you avoid their unfortunate path.

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Don’t Ask These Questions During Your Next Job Interview

When you are eager to begin your next journey with a new company, there is not much more exhilarating and nerve-racking than the job interview season. Meeting new potential employers during an interview is an exciting occasion because it acknowledges mutual interest in a likely long-term relationship.

To this point, you have dedicated hours preparing what to say, what to expect, and how to showcase your skills in a manner that convinces your interviewer you are best suited for the job. However, it is essential to remember that the interview is a two-way street, and you will be expected to ask questions. This can be a tricky line to walk as you balance 1) uncovering the unknowns surrounding the job while 2) staying appropriate and professional as not to deter your interviewer.

Your closing questions should not be a deep dive into specific company issues, nor should they be overly basic questions. Don’t tarnish any rapport you’ve built with your interviewer and spoil your shot at the job through incompetence. Here are a few questions you would be best suited to AVOID bringing up during your first-round interviews:

“What Does This Job Entail?”

At this point, you should have a decent understanding of the role you applied for and should avoid this generalized question. Instead, focus on specific aspects of the job, such as your daily responsibilities, who you will manage, or who you will be managed by. Ask about what future goals or projects they have in place and what you should prioritize within the role.

In a broader light, you can inquire about the work culture and work environment you will be joining. 

*Pro-Tip* Look back on the notes you’ve taken throughout the interview and pose a question based on your interviewer’s own words. Seeking further insight on a topic they covered will not only show you are a good listener but reiterates your interest in the job as well.

“What Is The Salary For This Position?”

The subject of salary and bonus potential is not deemed appropriate for you to bring up as the candidate. Leave this topic for the employer to reveal in a second or third-round interview or, to ask you directly: “What are your salary demands?” To answer this question, offer a specific range based on the research you have conducted for the position, location, industry, and experience level. Providing this range will leave room for compromise and negotiation. 

“What Exactly Does Your Company Do?”

Again, posing basic questions like this reveals a lack of preparation and a lack of interest to your interviewer. Either you failed to review the job description thoroughly, or you failed to conduct fundamental research into their website. Both will be seen as a red flag to any hiring manager or recruiter. As a general rule, you should never ask any question that you could have quickly answered for yourself online.

While you are expected to bring a blank notepad to track the information you receive during the interview, there is a similar expectation that you arrive with notes as well. From insight on the company’s mission statement, core values, target audience, provided resources, current challenges, and top competitors, speaking to these topics rather than asking about them will show you did your homework and are invested in making the most of your interview and interviewer’s time.

“What Is Your Policy On PTO & Health Benefits?”

Details surrounding paid vacation, 401k contributions, and provided health benefits can often weigh into your decision-making, but requiring this information early on will have your interviewer questioning your priorities. The more conventional approach is to evaluate these features in a later round of interviews or when weighing multiple job offers. Additionally, your immediate inquiry into paid time off will have employers questioning your commitment. If the details are not already revealed in the job description, it’s safe to assume the benefits will not surpass the industry standard.

“When Will I Be Up For A Promotion?”

While giving the impression that you are eager to grow and take more responsibility is admirable, your interviewer may not be keen to hear you are already looking beyond the job for which you are applying. Basic interview etiquette suggests that you should not be looking ahead to a new salary and job description before you’ve even been offered the job at hand.

Instead, ask your interviewer to define success within the role and provide an example of growth within the company. Turn your focus toward how you can impact the company rather than how it can best serve you. As the candidate being evaluated, you want to show you are ready to work hard and grow within the company rather than quick to pursue the next best opportunity.

Other Questions To Avoid (Which Shouldn’t Need Explaining)

– “Do I need to pass a drug test?”

– “Do your employees get breaks and if so, how long?”

– “Can I do this job from home?”

– “Will I be asked to work weekends or stay late?”

– “Will you be checking my references?”

– “Do you like your job?”

– “Do you have other openings I can apply for?”

Stay tuned for next week when I break down the meaningful, thought-provoking questions you should be asking during your interview.

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Six Resume Mistakes To Avoid in 2021

Whether you are looking to get started on your first job search out of college or looking to change careers and reopen your search, having an up-to-date resume is imperative. Recently, our friends at Nexxt revealed six of the most commonly overlooked mistakes made by job-seekers on their resumes. With the help of our friends at Nexxt, we breakdown the key examples here: 

Too Many Soft Skills

With an average of 30 seconds or less to capture a hiring manager’s attention, it’s best not to waste time with self-proclamations of being a team player, good communicator, or a sound multi-tasker, etc. There is no easy way to prove these characteristics through words on a resume, so it is best to leave the comments to be shared by your professional references or to be portrayed naturally during your interview. Place an emphasis on your applicable experience and relevant ‘hard skills.’

Overlooking Your Accomplishments

If you are dead set on an industry and have proven experience to compliment your acquired skill-set, you should jump straight into your career accomplishments as the highlight of your resume and elevator pitch. Don’t waste precious space uncovering the basic details of your previous job, but rather provide perspective as to why you succeeded. Present your accomplishments effectively to hiring managers through the CAR approach (Challenge-Actions-Results): 

  • Challenge – What was the existing problem, need, or situation?
  • Actions – What did you do about the challenge?
  • Results – What outcomes did you produce? Quantify it!

*Pro-Tip: Utilize strong action verbs to begin your statements

Grammar & Spelling

Grammatical and spelling mistakes are the first in the book and easiest to occur, but they continue to surface. If you are not confident in your grammatical capabilities, run your text through a resource like Grammarly. There is no worse feeling as a job-seeker than losing out on a job opportunity due to one typo or one forgotten punctuation.

Failing to Adjust Your Resume

Whether you are locked in on pursuing a specific industry or job title or are broadening your horizon, each job is unique and requires your resume to be unique as well. If you are not tailoring your resume to each job posting you apply to, you are spoiling your chances before you even received a phone call. For example, pursuing an Inside Sales position with a telecommunications firm will vastly differ in qualifications or required skills from that of a Content Writer opportunity for the same firm. Likewise, submitting the same resume for sales positions with two different companies implies you failed to research the company, and that will not go unnoticed.

Nearly 75% say they believe finding a job has become more challenging in 2020. (Jobvite)

Not Providing Timelines

It may seem like a solid strategy to keeping your resume with a ‘neat and clean’ appearance, but checking for dates is a vital part of a hiring manager’s review. Without a clear timeline, you are implying you have an employment gap or a history of short stints with employers you want to keep secret. If you are fortunate enough to receive the benefit of the doubt, you can undoubtedly expect clarification to be desired on your first phone call with the hiring manager. 

Using an Objective Statement

Arguably the most outdated feature on 2019 resumes, this section often takes up valuable space atop job-seekers’ resumes. Focused on general aspirations and ‘fluff’ statements, most hiring managers will skip over the paragraph or, worse, mark it as an immediate red flag. Courtesy of your submitted job application, employers are already aware you are “motivated” and “looking for your next opportunity.” Instead, utilize this space to provide a career summary, or dive straight into your work experience with concise summaries under each position.

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Eradicate These Flaws in Your Leadership

The best leaders are working to build strong units and empower their employees. This can be achieved in many different forms. However, there are countless mistakes that even the most highly touted leaders would confess. The difference between them and today’s lowly leaders? They were intentional in recognizing their mistakes, eradicating them, and researching ways to develop new habits. 

With the help of career coach Lolly Daskal and her blog ‘Lead From Within’, we’ve identified three critical flaws you MUST abolish. If made, these mistakes will lead to a poorly structured work environment and toxic culture. 

Selfish Tendencies

No one likes a manager with narcissistic tendencies. Your success is the benefit of a quality team of individuals. It is your responsibility to let that be known and share the spotlight.

Despite being in charge, you must never let go of your willingness and openness to learning. You may be the expert on a few particular subject manners, but being a great leader consists of knowing when you are not and entrusting those who are. Relying on your team members will keep morale high and build a positive workflow. 

Be powerful yet humble. Research would argue that leaders are more powerful when they are humble. Why? True humility is “when someone has an accurate assessment of both his/her strengths and weakness and sees all this in the context of the larger whole.” 

Causing Conflict & Avoiding It

When you know that you are a vital part of your company and its success, it is easy to gradually become arrogant and compassionless without even realizing it. You begin to disvalue your team’s opinions and close yourself off from the culture, all while demanding respect in the process. Your style of leadership may be the cause of conflict within your organization. 

When conflict arises, a poor leader’s response is to shut the door and deflect responsibility. Linking back to the topic of humility, studies show that those low in humility tend to overreact during conflict, refuse to apologize, and often plot revenge. Be efficient in your decision-making, but don’t lose sight of the big picture in determining what is best for everyone.

“Both arrogance and humility are contagious. Both can be taught and caught.” -Unknown.

Lack of Accountability

When things are not working out to expectation, weak leaders will look to pass blame and create excuses. Take consistent responsibility for your choices and encourage others to do the same. Without accountability, your company’s aspirations to carry out a specific strategy becomes wasted time. Productivity is destined to ‘take a hit’ as your rogue mentality will set the standard for employee performance. Sure, this mentality may not overtake every employee, but by that fact, it will only lead to ‘Me vs. You’ implication. Taking ownership of your actions or the mistakes made by your delegates will go along way in garnering respect and getting your employees to work harder. 

In a recent article from Partners In Leadership, they revealed six warning signs of a lack of accountability in the workplace:

  1. Low Morale
  2. Unclear Priorities
  3. Declining Engagement
  4. Ineffective Execution
  5. Low Levels of Trust
  6. High Turnover

Wrap Up

Anyone who lacks sound character is often incapable of quality leadership. As a result, your company may experience high turnover and displeased employees. Best-selling author and keynote speaker Bernard Marr knows the character traits that set true leaders apart from followers. In his recent article, he reveals eight signs that a person might not be ready for a position of leadership.
Examples: Lack of empathy; Fear of change; Wishy-washy; Too bossy. 

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Mistakes To Avoid For A Strong First Impression

Getting judged based on your appearance, mannerisms, or body language occurs in a matter of seconds, especially when sitting down with a potential employer. Giving off a strong first impression is critical in job interviews as it often sets the tone for the conversation and the direction it will take. There is no ‘second chance.’ I am sure you’ve heard the popular principles of making a strong connection, such as dressing professionally, arriving on time, and researching the company. But today, I want to take a different approach to your frequently revealed career tips.

Earlier this year, our friends at CNBC Make It revealed nine of the most commonly made mistakes people make in their first impressions, as told by various millionaires across the country. We share a few of the critical examples below and how to make the necessary adjustments:

A Poor Handshake and No Eye Contact

Investor on “Shark Tank” and Founder of The Corcoran Group, Barbara Corcoran, lists maintaining strong eye contact as one of her four major rules to making a good impression (Review her other three rules here).

“I never hire anyone I don’t trust, and I always form my first impression of someone based on their eye contact. If you want someone to trust you, you better look them straight in the eye.” – Barbara Corcoran

Additionally, it is critical to offer a good handshake, which has less to do with being the strongest and more to do with being comfortable and confident. 

Being Dismissive

Always display positivity, kindness, and a willingness to help. Comedic star Jay Leno fondly recalls individuals early in his career who ‘showed him the ropes’ and were readily available with advice, but also remembers those who were quite the opposite. Jay shared a story where a bigtime celebrity was approached for an autograph. The lack of emotion and reaction from the celebrity arguably resulted in losing a fan and negative word-of-mouth along with it. 

Not Asking Good Questions

“To build rapport and credibility quickly, ask open-ended questions.” – Marla Beck, Co-Founder & CEO of bluemercury

For example, Marla recommends discussing how your interviewer got started in their career and what led them to where they are today. You can also ask about their goals and dreams for the future. Other questions to give off a positive, lasting impression include:

 -“Have I answered all of your questions sufficiently?”
 -“What is your ideal candidate, and how do I compare?”
 -“Do you need me to clarify or elaborate on anything from my resume?”
 -“What do the career paths look like for those who have previously held this position?” (My personal favorite)

For more clever, engaging, and thought-provoking questions to ask during your interview, check out this great article from our friends at Business Insider.

Appearing Disinterested

“It’s not enough to be interesting. You have to be interested.” If you do not appear invested in the conversation and curious to learn more about them and the position, your interviewer will not view you as a qualified candidate. Save some of your pitch for a second interview and take this time to focus on them, says Cardone Ventures for Women Co-Founder Natalie Workman. 

“And don’t forget to give them your business card — ideally with your picture on it — so they have a way to follow up with you. But remember: It’s ultimately your job to follow up with them.”

Failing To Display Your Strongest Assets

“I’m enthusiastic by nature, but I used to hold back because I wanted to seem ‘cool’ — until I realized my enthusiasm is actually one of my most valuable assets.” – Alon Rajic, CEO of Finofin

Please don’t hold back when it comes to showcasing your most outstanding qualities, skills, and job experience that sets you apart. Ensure the strengths you share are unique and specific to the job, rather than general statements such as being punctual or a ‘good communicator.’

“It’s so important to identify your strongest skills and showcase them proudly. If you’re an eloquent speaker, speak often. If you’re a great listener, ask lots of questions. But you also need to avoid overemphasizing them.” 

Final Thoughts

– Stay authentic.
– Don’t force words. Speak up only when you have something valuable or insightful to say.
– Remember the ‘give-and-take’ principle still begins with giving. 

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