CPACareerCoach.com

Interviews can be a tricky thing. It is like showing up to a party where you know no one. You are not sure what to expect. You are wondering if you are going to be able to fit in or not.

We have been doing a rundown on the top 10 fatal mistakes that cause bad job interviews.

Here is what we have covered so far:

Fatal Mistake #8: Bad-mouthing Another Employer

Fatal Mistake #7:Answering a Question that was not Asked

Today we are going to discuss an interview mistake that is going to seem pretty obvious. In fact, it will seem so obvious that you might just think that there is no way that anyone does this, but I would have to argue against it.

One of the great advantages of being a recruiter is that you are in the middle of the whole process. Hiring Managers are fine with being brutally honest with recruiters when it comes to feedback. They will tell recruiters things that they normally would not say directly to the candidate. Which leads us to this mistake:

Fatal Mistake #6: Failing to Listen to the Question

I have seen this happen in my own interviews and there is nothing more frustrating then trying to have a conversation with someone who is not fully engaged. Even if you are not connecting 100% with the hiring manager you have to stay engaged. Sure they may seem dull or maybe they are just cocky and it is turning you off a bit, but stay engaged to the discussion and to the questions that are being asked.

Eye contact is a huge factor in the interview process. You need to sit up and keep your eyes fully engaged on the interviewer at all times. Your eyes tell a lot even when your mouth is not moving. I have had candidates in interviews that liked to draw on paper, look around the room a lot or have that glassy eye look. Just remember that your eyes tell a story.

Body language is also important if you are fidgety or not sitting in an engaged mode in an interview it can comes across as you not being interested. I have an exercise that might seem silly for you but just might put the pieces together for you. You should probably do this with no one around. Find a mirror and sit in front of it and pretend that you are being interviewed. Try your best to act like you normally would and see how you come across.

You could also try recording yourself as if you were in an interview and then watch it back. You might just find some interesting discoveries. Another good idea is to ask a recruiter that you trust to be honest with you.

When I am interviewing a candidate I write down at the top of the resume things that I think they are going to need to improve on before they step into an interview with me. I don't do that to be mean. I want them to get the job and most candidates really appreciate the coaching as it was something simple they could fix.

So, make sure you watch your eyes and your body language in a job interview so that you will not appear that you are failing to listen to the question being asked. Do this and get rid of those bad job interviews.