People really struggle with job interviews
Your perspective of the job interview really messes with your head, which increases your nervous. Once afraid you are already on a downward slope to the reject pile. But even confident interviewees make mistakes in the job interview that can cost them the job offer
This article wont cover preparing and practicing your interview answers, even though this is a must. Instead this article will discuss the 3 mistakes that every candidate makes when answering interview questions
Job Interview Mistake 1
Thinking you will get offered the job role
Rule 1 in job interviews is the best person for the job doesn’t get it, the best interviewee does
When coaching interviewees the biggest mistake they make is Not Using Examples. Some, don’t even use examples when asked “give me an example of when you did X?” instead they list skills or required qualities for the task
Examples are real and have a greater emotional impact on the interviewer. Think of an example as a story; you give the plot (in the job interview the plot is the situation – I worked on X project) then discuss the story (what you did to achieve your outcome) and final the conclusion (the outcome from your hard work)
People visualise stories and examples and these visualisations have an emotional effect on the interviewer increasing likeness and the likelihood that you, not others, will be offered the position
Job Interview Mistake 2
Giving credit to others doesn’t highlight your unique selling point
So many interviewees, in a mock interviews with me, will discuss a key achievement from a previous employer without explaining how they were the instrumental influence in the outcome of the achievement
- “We set a task, we all worked hard, the outcome was X”
- “Dave did a great job on X which really helped with the outcome”
- “The company had X goal, the company put X into place and the outcome was X”
In every job interview create a focus on YOU! Explain what you did, explain your unique selling points and explain how without you, the outcome would have been negative. This your KEY SELLING point, don’t fall into the trap of underselling yourself
Job Interview Mistake 3
If you don’t say it loud, don’t say it
A common mistake is the tone and volume of your voice during the job interview
Many interviewers are too polite, if your volume is quite they may ask you to repeat your answer once or twice but not more often then that. If they can’t hear your unique selling point, it was pointless saying it.
Many interviewees will use one tonality throughout the interview. From your own experiences you know how boring and sleep inducing this is.
To create excitement, interest and intrigue use your a varied tonality when answering each interview question
All great orators use this skill which is easily transferred to the job interview situation
