MISTAKES COMMITED DURING THE INTERVIEW

Mistakes committed by the interviewer

Mistakes committed by the interviewee

First impression

Mistake: during the first minutes, the interviewer can form a bad impression of the candidate.

Comment: further information given during the interview can confirm that perception.

Mistake: giving the impression that you are too confident or not very preoccupied by the interview.

Comment: this attitude can affect negatively your image.

Attitude

Mistake: the interviewer may not be open minded toward candidates that seem to have a very different personality than his.

Comment: the interviewer is an individual that is influenced by attitudes, preferences, habits, judgment and humors.

Mistake: nervous candidates have tendency to talk about subjects that are not relevant

(ex.: the weather).

Comment: it is important to find ways to control your nervousness.

Lack of preparation

Mistake: not being prepared, not reviewing the resume, not knowing the employment requirements, not transmitting all the relevant information to the selection committee are frequent errors.

Comment: unfortunately, the candidates’ evaluation may be distorted.

Mistake: not being prepared, not reviewing the possible interview answers, forgetting to bring an extra copy of your resume and your list of references, not being well dressed are frequent errors.

Comment: well prepared candidates may be one length ahead.

Prejudices

Mistake: the interviewer can also be influenced by positive or negative images that people relate to a certain groups: women are emotional, youths are not motivated, etc.

Comment: these prejudices can create discrimination.

Mistake: not asking the employer the reasons why you were not hired.

Comment: it is important to verify with the employer the reasons why you were not hired instead of staying under the impression that you were not chosen because of your age, your nationality, your religion, your sex, etc.

Negative vs Positive

Mistake: when a candidate is being evaluated, it seems that negative information has more influence than positive information.

Comment: it is important to evaluate the candidates with a global view.

Mistake: sometimes, candidates misunderstand a question and are too shy to make the interviewer repeat.

Comment: not answering the question properly can be embarrassing.