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“We have decided to go with someone else” “you didn’t get the job” “you didn’t get the job” and yet again “you didn’t get the job.” We have all heard these words before and probably many times over again but each time, it still hurts to be told that you are not good enough.

Interviewing is the most important part of the job process and often times the area where we fall short. Why is it that when it comes to interviewing, we tend to freak out and over think the process? What makes sitting down with someone that we don’t know so difficult that we forget how to put complete sentences together?

Many of us over think what interviewing is intended to do, the focus should be about building a relationship in a short amount of time that when you leave, the interviewer is thinking, I could be friends with that person and I want them working for me.

Interviewing and networking are one in the same and if you have mastered networking, you should be a pro at interviewing. Think of the process of networking—you walk into a room full of people you don’t know and quickly become engaged in conversation. As you talk, you are trying to find a common ground to determine whether there is an opportunity to grow a relationship. You articulate to the other person who you are, what you are looking for and how you might be able to help each other grow. Now let’s think about interviewing, it is articulating to an interviewer who you are, why you are a good fit to help their company grow and most importantly why they should hire you. Sounds pretty easy right?

Over the years I have helped many people perfect the art of interviewing and yet I continuously see these same missteps over and over.

Mistakes are meant to help us grow but we must learn from them!

6 mistakes that prevent a successful interview:

1. Not bringing resumes to the interview: Call it old school but the expectation is still that if you are interviewing, you need to be prepared to hand out resumes to the people that are interviewing you. Assuming that the person interviewing you has had time to print it out is wrong. My recommendation is always 5 resumes as you never know how many people may be sitting in or the number of people who may be interviewing you.

2. Assuming the recruiter or hiring manager has memorized your resume: The reality here is that in a day recruiters or hiring managers will be interviewing 5 or more people and have probably not had time to revisit your resume before the interview. When you are interviewing assume that they have never seen your resume and give plenty of detail to each question asked. Answering in one word answers or not giving all the details because you did that on your resume is setting yourself up to be rejected.

3. Bad mouthing anyone or anything is completely unacceptable in an interview: I don’t care if you are working for a bully boss, or you can’t stand the company you are working for, interviewing is not the place to vent all your frustrations. You come across as a complainer who badmouths people. If you are asked the question why are you leaving, answer in a position way such as, “I am looking for a new opportunity to challenge myself in ways that my current position does not allow.” End of story!!

4. Not asking quality and challenging questions: It is nearing the end of an interview and you are asked, “Do you have any questions for me,” and you answer “no, I’m good.” This is a sign of complete disinterest in the position. It is one thing to ask questions such as “Tell me more about your background,” or “What do you love about your job,” but it is a completely different scenario when you are asking tough questions that make you look like an expert in your field. Ask questions such as “What strategy do you have for staying #1 in the industry,” “What type of changes do you think are necessary to keep productivity high in the office,” “I recently saw that your competitor just launched ______, what is your strategy for staying competitive?”

5. Not selling you: This is probably the #1 factor of why people do not get hired. Interviewing is about selling yourself and closing all in a matter of 30 minutes. If you can not sell an interviewer on why you are the perfect person for the job, how are you going to be able to sell their clients/prospective clients on their products or services. You are selling the easiest product in the world and the one you know best . . . yourself! So make sure that you take every opportunity to show the interviewer that they need not look any further.

6. Body Language: Get rid of the gum, sit up straight, turn off electronic devices! Body language is instantly apparent the moment you meet—the acceptable greeting is the handshake, a genuine smile and direct eye contact. Appearing distant because you lack eye contact is a sure sign to the interviewer that you lack confidence in why you are there. Sitting up straight without fidgeting signals to the interviewer that you are poised and stress free. Turn off anything that may beep, buzz or chime—always allow the interviewer to know that for that moment, the only center of your attention is this interview.

Bonus tip: The first impression and the last impression are the most significant parts of the interview and the most memorable so make sure your first and lasting impressions are top notch!

Wishing you all the best in your interview process and if you would like any help with interviewing, please email Amanda@bizme.biz