How to fail a job interview: 5 mistakes to avoid
Why would you waste time in an interview if the salary was not up to expectations? So you discuss money and position right at the beginning. The interview seems to go downhill thereafter. Here are four other things you could do wrong.
By Devashish Chakravarty, ET CONTRIBUTORS | Updated:
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Looking for a job is a long-drawn out and emotionally draining experience for many. Not everyone is lucky enough to find success in the first try; there are many reasons why one can get rejected for the job they applied for. Chief among them is failing at the interview. Here are five ways one can fail at a job interview.
Live and let live
You have made it to the interview. Where you know all about yourself. You expect that the interviewers know all about their company’s business, people and role. Which you do not know. You never hear back from them after the interview. The person who was hired had researched these for a week before the interview.
Mud raker
Your previous employer’s business model was flawed and you had told them so. Your boss was a terrible manager. Your team mates would never support you and steal your credit. It was not your fault. You tell your interviewers about it. Your interviewers choose to interpret it as disloyalty and lack of ownership while bidding you goodbye.
Also read: 10 sure shot reasons your resume will get rejected
The spy who loved money
Why would you waste time in an interview if the salary was not up to expectations? So you discuss money and position right at the beginning. The interview seems to go downhill thereafter. The interviewer thinks of himself as a buyer and wants to be sold and convinced about the product before discussing price.
Dr. No idea
The interviewer asks strange questions from your resume. Like examples of how you outperformed or handled negative clients or team conflicts. Or about industry numbers. Or specific learnings from the certifications and education you have claimed. You fumble or spin a story. That doesn’t work out.
You heard your interviewer ask you about yourself. And later ask you to leave. You do not remember the questions that were asked in between. And why the interviewer would repeat each question even after you had answered. Meanwhile, the interviewer’s notes show —poor listener, irrelevant answers.
(The writer is a career coach, mentor and the author of Yoursortinghat.com)
Live and let live
You have made it to the interview. Where you know all about yourself. You expect that the interviewers know all about their company’s business, people and role. Which you do not know. You never hear back from them after the interview. The person who was hired had researched these for a week before the interview.
Mud raker
Your previous employer’s business model was flawed and you had told them so. Your boss was a terrible manager. Your team mates would never support you and steal your credit. It was not your fault. You tell your interviewers about it. Your interviewers choose to interpret it as disloyalty and lack of ownership while bidding you goodbye.
Also read: 10 sure shot reasons your resume will get rejected
The spy who loved money
Why would you waste time in an interview if the salary was not up to expectations? So you discuss money and position right at the beginning. The interview seems to go downhill thereafter. The interviewer thinks of himself as a buyer and wants to be sold and convinced about the product before discussing price.
Dr. No idea
The interviewer asks strange questions from your resume. Like examples of how you outperformed or handled negative clients or team conflicts. Or about industry numbers. Or specific learnings from the certifications and education you have claimed. You fumble or spin a story. That doesn’t work out.
Upskilling is the way to go in today's uncertain world and shocked job market. With new requirements out of professionals in the new normal, it is no surprise if you too want to switch career paths and learn novel skills to be smoothly navigate such a pivot. A changed market requires new or updated skillsets. After you have arrived at the kind of job and industry you want to now venture into, accelerate your career growth with one or more of these four routes to learning and development.
You heard your interviewer ask you about yourself. And later ask you to leave. You do not remember the questions that were asked in between. And why the interviewer would repeat each question even after you had answered. Meanwhile, the interviewer’s notes show —poor listener, irrelevant answers.
(The writer is a career coach, mentor and the author of Yoursortinghat.com)
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)
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