Do You Make Any Of These Top 5 Job Interview Mistakes?

Recruiters vote on college grads’ worst job interview mistakes

What do 50+ experienced college recruiters from top-tier corporations and universities say are the biggest mistakes college grads make in job interviews? That’s the question I recently posed to recruiters at companies and schools like Google, Disney, Sony, and Stanford University. The result of their votes? His 20 ‘biggest bloopers’, five of which are outlined here. Are you making any of these mistakes in your job search?

1. Not paying attention to YOU ​​on the Internet. Your interviewer or future boss will most likely do a “Google search” on you before deciding to call you for an interview. In fact, I found that about 45% of recruiters are now going beyond Google and search for it on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. So think twice about what he posts online, even if he thinks he’s password protected.

What does this mean for you and your personal brand online? Think twice before posting those wild spring break photos from last year on your Facebook page or a picture of you passed out on your friend’s living room couch on your blog. Veda Jeffries of Stanford University says: “Students feel like Facebook etc. is personal, but it’s hard to erase the negatives about who you are when it’s open to everyone.”

Also pay attention to what you say on your blog or other social networks. Negative comments about teachers, interns, or roommates, or the use of profanity, can land you out of a job. Remember: privacy is virtually non-existent on the Internet. As soon as you post it, your secret is out in the open, and you may be unwittingly damaging your personal brand faster than you can click a mouse.

2. Believing that the “greeter” of a company at a job fair is a colleague or a confidante. Recruiters made it clear: the job of a company receptionist at a job fair is to evaluate you as much as an interviewer. Even if a greeter seems casual and talks to you like you’re a friend, his job is to let the company know whether or not he’s calling you for an interview. So keep in mind that the greeter’s opinion counts! Also, make sure you don’t say one thing to your greeter and another to your interviewer. You’ll get caught, and that could lead to you being branded as inconsistent or, worse, dishonest. Keep it professional when you interact with each company representative

3. Thinking that the interview only begins when you are in front of the interviewer’s desk. HR professionals told me repeatedly: From the moment you walk into the interview location, you’re “on.” That means no talking on your cell phone, listening to your MP3 player, or texting in the lobby while you wait for the interviewer. It means remembering that the way you treat the receptionist may be shared with your potential boss later. And it also means remembering that the time you spend following the interviewer from the reception area to the interview room is also part of your interview. I’ve found that some recruiters are quiet on purpose during that time just to see how you respond to silence and to see if you’re outgoing and personable enough to talk. So be sure to start some conversation during that time; small talk will go a long way in communicating a strong personal brand.

4. Do not ask for clarification when you do not understand a question. One of our worst fears is looking “stupid”, right? But it will look even more stupid if you fumble around and answer the wrong question! In fact, the recruiters told me they think it’s stupid. No to ask a question Maggie Yontz of ConAgra Foods says, “Nine times out of ten, when a candidate asks for clarification on a question I’ve asked, I assume I haven’t communicated clearly, not that the student can’t understand what I’m asking.” asking”. . I appreciate a candidate who is confident and direct enough to ask for clarification on a question they don’t understand.” So, most interviewers actually prefer that you ask for clarity. It lets them know that you want to make sure you give a good answer. Now, who in their right mind would consider that dumb?

5. Not being prepared with good, thoughtful questions to ask at the end of the interview. Recruiters told me that you should expect to be asked, “Do you have any questions?” The quality of his questions will show not only that he did his research on the company and the position, but that he really thought about how he might fit into the company. It will also show that you are listening to the interviewer.

Nora Bammann, Assistant Manager of Human Resources for The Kroger Company, says: “Always have questions ready. The questions interviewees ask really tell me (a) how the interviewee processes the information they heard, and (b) whether the interviewee was not only listening but understood what they heard.” Also feel free to ask questions at the time. depending on what the interviewer tells you.

Of course, keep your questions relevant. Gillian Taitz, Staples’ senior recruiter for college relations, said: “When candidates ask me things that really prove they’re trying sounding smart and having done your research online really turns me off. I prefer that we spend time talking about what is important to this candidate in terms of culture, management style, etc.”

So how did you do it? Have you made any of these mistakes? As John Luther Long, author of the short story “Madame Butterfly,” said, “Learn from the mistakes of others: you can never live long enough to make them all yourself.” By being aware of the biggest mistakes other college grads have made, you can avoid making them yourself. This is how you navigate through interviews and land a great job that you’ll really love, right out of college.

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