Interview Sins Kill Chances For Employment

By Amy Lindgren

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

In working with job seekers, I have come to recognize five deadly interview sins, any or all of which will keep a candid from getting an offer.

Following are these sins of omission and commission, and the suggested penance.

Sin No. 1: Underpreparation. Many job seekers just show up at the appointed time with no idea what the company does or why they would want to work there. Their ignorance is nearly always obvious to the interviewer, and it leads to the conclusion that the candidate doesn’t care about working at particular company. If you don’t care, should the interviewer?

Penance: The only way to correct this mistake is to stop making it. From now on prepare for each interview by finding all facts you can about the company and analyze your reasons for wanting the job.

Start your research by calling the company in advance for brochures, newsletters and catalogs about their products and service. Follow up by talking to others who work there and visiting the library. Take a cyber-journey to the company’s Web page.

Sin No. 2: Lack of optimism. If I had a nickel for every candidate who told me, "I’m not going to take (or get) this job. I just want to practice my interview skills," I wouldn’t be rich, but I’d have a lot of change. When a job seeker has that attitude, the message of disrespect and discouragement is unmistakable. Ironically, since the candidate isn’t treating the interview with respect, he or she isn’t getting any real practice, either.

Penance: You have two choices: Get excited or, stay home. If you really don’t care about this job, give the interview a pass. But if you think you might enjoy working there, or you could at least learn something from this position, prepare yourself to win the offer.

The offer itself will be negotiable, so don’t worry in advance that it won’t pay enough, or will have long hours, or whatever. And skip worrying about whether you are skilled enough to do the job. You wouldn’t have an interview at all if the employer wasn’t seriously considering you.

Sin No. 3: Lack of strategy. Going into the interview without a plan is like getting into the car with no destination in mind. You’ll end up somewhere, but will it be the right place? Your interviewer will have a plan, and you should, too. What information do you want to impart? What facts do you need to learn?

Penance: Ask yourself this: What three main things does the interviewer need to know about me in order to offer me the job? For example, you may have training on equipment that the company uses, or managerial experience. Practice stating your three "themes" in response to a variety of questions until it’s second nature to bring out these points. Then, develop a short list of questions you need answered, such as the number of employees in the department, the main product lines, customer profiles, etc.

Sin No. 4: Inert physical presence. This is a cousin to No. 2. If you’re not excited, it will show in your posture. But even people who are highly interested in the job sometimes give a different impression with their body language. Symptoms include limp handshakes, lack of eye contact, rounded shoulders and sluggish walking. Monotone speech and lack of facial expression are turnoffs, too.

Penance: The only solution is to become more vibrant. Use a video camera and concentrate on being outgoing, friendly and competent as you answer expected questions. Practice will help you feel more confident which is also good for your body language.

Sin No. 5: Lack of follow-through. No matter how well you do in the interview, it won’t matter if you don’t follow through. Candidates who wait by the phone show that they don’t really care how things turn out. They also suffer needlessly, waiting weeks to hear the position was filled by someone else. This drains energy and leads to a lack of optimism for later interviews (see Sin No. 2).

Penance: Send a thank-you note immediately then let no more than three or four days pass before you call the interviewer. Don’t worry if you get voice mail. Just leave a short message, and call back in three or four more days. As long as you’re brief and polite, you will send the message that this is an important situation and that you are maintaining your interest in working for this company.

Will correcting these five deadly interview sins help you get the job? Absolutely! And even if they don’t, your conscience will be clean. You’ll know you did everything right, and that it’s just a matter of time before you get your wings.

This article appeared in the Columbus Dispatch.