There are several open positions on my contract, and my Division Director and I have been conducting interviews over the past few weeks. I know that there are tons of intelligent, motivated, professional people out there looking for jobs, but recently, I’ve seen even the smartest and most qualified candidates make fatal mistakes in the interview process. Drawing on these experiences, I’ve compiled some interview pointers.

1. Quadruple check your resume and cover letter. (This usually comes before the interview, but it’s so important that I’m including it anyway.) There is no excuse–I repeat, no excuse, for having typos in your resume and/or cover letter. If you’re not a good proofreader, have someone else do it for you. As a matter of fact, ask another person to look at it no matter what. They may point out unexplained abbreviations, odd formatting, missing information, weird wording, or other mistakes that could land your resume in the trash can.
2. Be on time. This really should go without saying, but sigh… I guess it doesn’t. Leave extra early. If something happens and you’re going to be late, call the interviewer and calmly (please don’t cry–this also happened to me recently) say “I wanted to let you know that I’ll be arriving 10 minutes late due to an accident on I-66. I apologize for the inconvenience.” Nine times out of ten, it won’t be a problem. (Just don’t stroll in an hour late without calling ahead, and don’t tell your potential employer that you’ll be late because you overslept.)
3. Be self-confident. If you come into the interview and you’re so nervous that your hands are shaking and your voice is trembling, it… well, it just doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence. I know that job interviews are intimidating, but you have to be able to project an image of calm and poise even when your guts are in a knot. It’s hard, but if I can do it, so can you. Try the “act as if” technique–it works wonders for me.
4. Dress for success. The hard truth is that you will be judged in part on your appearance. If your clothes are wrinkled, there’s sauce on your blouse, and you’re wearing Doc Martens (I actually saw this last week–with a SKIRT), it projects an “I don’t care enough to try” attitude. Yes, we’re not all fashionistas, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look professional and pulled together. For most office jobs, you should be wearing a business suit. (*TIP*-tailoring can make even a $20 Goodwill suit look like a million bucks!) Before you leave the house, check your fingernails, shine your shoes (or at least wipe the mud off), and do a quick once-over to make sure you’re not wearing your breakfast. And ladies, don’t wear your hair like this. That is not professional hair! A sleek, low ponytail secured with a plain black elastic always works.
5. Be positive. I know that your last job was an absolute cesspool of backstabbing, gossip, and general despair, but for the love of God, don’t frame it that way in an interview. To reference a gossipy work environment, say that you learned a great deal about effective communication. For backstabbing, say that you learned the value of teamwork. If asked why you’re leaving, say that you’re ready to tackle new challenges and additional responsibilities. Don’t fall into the trap of badmouthing your former employer! The person you’re interviewing with could actually know the people you used to work for–especially if you’re in a specialized industry.
6. Don’t chew gum. Just… don’t.
7. Practice. You will most likely be asked about your strengths and weaknesses. You’ll be asked to describe an instance when you worked well with a team, or when you displayed leadership, or when you overcame a challenge. Do some reading online about standard job interview questions ahead of time and be prepared with responses. Don’t look at the interviewer like a deer in the headlights when they ask what you’re biggest strength is.
8. Be enthusiastic. Let the interviewer know that you’re actually excited about the job. Ask questions about the work environment, the clients, the challenges of the job, significant successes, etc. Let your interest in the job show. (Be wary of asking salary/benefits questions early in the interview–this should come at the end of a good interview where you’re fairly confident you’ll get a call-back.)
9. Market yourself. You want to talk up your high points with out sounding too braggy. Some examples, “Analytical thinking is my strongest skill. I love tackling complex problems!” This conveys that you’re a good analyst and that you enjoy it without sounding over the top. Another example: “Graduate school honed my ability to write well under pressure. I’m considered the go-to person in my office for drafting documents with a quick turn-around.” I know it feels weird to talk about yourself this way, but trust me, it sounds great to an interviewer!
10. Explain your mistakes. For recent college graduates, if your GPA was under 3.0, you’d better be prepared to explain why. Don’t get defensive when you’re asked about it. Come up with a simple explanation like “Early in my college career, I had difficulty managing the workload. I recognized the problem and took a course on time management and study skills. I was able to pull my GPA from a 2.0 to a 2.8 in just one semester. It was an extremely valuable learning experience for me.” If you’ve been fired, be prepared with an explanation that focuses on what you learned from the experience rather than pointing fingers at the company that fired you. No matter what black marks you’ve got on your record, there’s a way to spin them in a positive light.

Do you have any other job interview tips? What mistakes have you made (or seen) in job interviews?

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