You thought you nailed it! You have all of the interviewing basics down. You researched the company, showed up on time, asked thoughtful questions. In fact, you and the hiring manager seemed to have such great repair and a lot in common. After a couple of days go by waiting for a job offer, you receive the email below:
Dear Savannah, Thank you for your interest in our Marketing Professional opportunity. We have interviewed a number of candidates with strong qualifications during our recruitment process. Although we sincerely appreciate your interest in our organization, we will not be proceeding with you as a candidate for this role. We hope your interest in career opportunities with ABC Company will continue. Please visit our website to learn more about ABC Company and other positions available in the future. We wish you the best of luck in your career search.
What went wrong? Could it have been any of these 5 interview blunders?
1. Being Too Friendly.
A relaxed interviewing environment is no excuse to become complacent in your professionalism.
For example, a previous client I worked with was looking to progress in her career as a substance-abuse counselor. This was her original area of study and expertise. She was empathetic, outgoing and an extremely hard worker. She had fantastic work experience and had unique insights based on personal experiences that enabled her to work effectively with those who sought counseling. However, during an interview, she met her downfall while making small talk. After the interview, the hiring manager mentioned in passing that his son had recently received a DUI. He hoped that his son learned his lesson and be more responsible in the future. My client, attempting to empathize shared her personal experience and admitted that she, too, had received a DUI ticket – on two separate occasions. Needless to say, sharing such personal information on an interview is not the best idea.
Lesson learned: No matter how relaxed the interview environment is, always remain professional.
2. Not preparing enough
Reading books about job searching and interviewing articles are great ways to prepare for upcoming interviews. But don’t stop there. Solicit a friend or significant other to give you a dry run through a hypothetical interview with suggested questions from the books or articles you are reading. Even better, if you know someone who is a hiring manager or works in human resources (for a different company, of course), or a career coach, ask them to conduct a mock interview with you.
Lesson learned: You can never over prepare. By asking for the help of others, you will receive constructive criticism and be able to integrate a different perspective into your responses. You may even be asked a question that you never considered answering. This will provide you with great practice for unexpected interview surprises.