People say don’t quit a bad job until you’ve secured a new one, but as anyone who’s ever touched the job market knows, that means applying, where if you’re lucky you might get an interview. Then comes the next challenge of sitting down and being assessed face to face and hoping you like them.
Nerves and the pressure of the situation make many people nervous, so TikToker and career counselor Julia Haber put together a collection of common mistakes people make and some interview tips and tricks. So read on, vote for your favorites and comment your thoughts below.
More information: TikTok
Speaking in a professional setting can be nerve-wracking, but interviews come with a number of pitfalls that end up making us all a little nervous. You don’t want to lie, but the purpose of the conversation is mostly to convince the other party to give you something you want. You often have no idea who you’re competing against, so you might want to pull out all the stops, but most of us mentally can’t think that fast.
The result is stress, which can affect interview performance, making the person feel self-conscious, which is then its own cycle of despair. If you suffer from interview nerves, it’s best to set limited goals so you don’t get caught up when less realistic goals don’t happen. Focus on professionalism above all else as skills can be learned but mindset is harder.
This is the interview question that most people get wrong. What would your dream job be if this role wasn’t on the table? This is your opportunity to say I want to open a restaurant, join NASA. Cookie-cutter answers are boring, and showcasing your passions is a great way to stand out as a candidate.
People will decide if they want to hire you in the first 2 minutes of your conversation. They want to know these things about you:
1. Are you normal and can you hold a conversation
2. Do you really want this job?
3. Do you give me the confidence to believe that you can really do the job
Other people, scared to death of an awkward silence, may start sharing more in an attempt to keep the conversation going or to build a connection very quickly. After all, human communication wasn’t developed quickly for HR interviews. Oversharing is a fairly common human response to various situations. Maybe we want the interlocutor to feel better or we are nervous and want to distract ourselves.
In an interview environment, it’s potentially better to overshare than undershare, but only if you don’t get off on the wrong topics. Discussing politics or religion during a job interview is probably not the best idea, nor is sharing some embarrassing personal stories that will make you look a little unprofessional at best.
When the interviewer says “tell me about yourself”, don’t ramble on for 5 minutes, don’t tell a story – share only relevant information
Don’t forget to ask the employer questions. Here are some good questions to ask:
1. What opportunities are there for training or progression?
2. What can’t I learn about the company online?
3. What is one thing you would change about the company if you could?
Be prepared to answer the question, “What would be the number one reason you wouldn’t take the role?” It gives a glimpse into your mind and gives a sense of your appetite for risk and your greatest fears
If all of this is stressing you out, you’re not alone. While the prospect of interviewing keeps many people tied to the same job, more and more people are beginning to realize that a toxic work environment is not good for them. Statistics in the US show that up to 36% of workers have or plan to leave a job without finding another, although only 22% actually feel confident of finding an alternative job.
The latter statistic is telling, as many of us will work multiple jobs throughout our lives, but the majority of people still struggle with the fear of not being able to find another job. Interestingly, a bad manager is such a toxic factor that it “helps” about 60% of people who leave to “take a step” and simply leave. So asking about management seems like a good thing to be careful when interviewing, even though they’ll probably never give you an honest answer.
Share a personal anecdote that gives insight into your personality. Like “I’ve always studied unconventionally, so I’m always willing to try and try until I get it right”
Take language from the job description and use it specifically in relation to another job you’ve had. “I learned that I should work in (industry) with (role) Al during my time at (company)”
Say exactly what you want from the role.
“I have improved my skills in (x) and I want to join[typeofbusinessbecause)andIknowIcanaddvaluetotheteam”[видбизнесзащото)изнамчемогададобавястойносткъмекипа“[typeofbusinessbecause)andIknowIcanaddvaluetotheteam”