5 mistakes that will lose you the job
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You have been invited to interview – this is your chance to shine and present yourself as the best candidate for the job. So, what could possibly go wrong?

Lack of preparation

Failing to prepare = Preparing to fail, right?  Absolutely when it comes to an interview.  You need to know about the role, the company and be prepared for the questions that you may be asked.  Use the job spec, company websites, LinkedIn and anything other information that your recruiter can provide.  Prepare mental bullet points in preparation for likely questions and know your CV inside-out.

Indifference

You might think that nobody would turn up to an interview and show a lack of interest.  It happens, and it will scupper your chances pretty quickly.  As well as knowing about the role, be sure that you are giving the right impression about you.  Think about body language, eye contact and building rapport with your interviewer.  If you get nervous, and most of us do, then perhaps rehearse some interview situations with friends.

Be you, but the best you

You need to be yourself and show them what a great addition to the team you could be.  Being late is an obvious no-no, look to arrive around 10 minutes early.  Regarding dress code, it is always better to be too smart than to find out that you have dressed too casually. Be sure to switch off your phone, and greet your interviewer with firm handshake and a smile.  Be yourself, unless you are actually rude and obnoxious – then be someone else!

Don’t get beyond the now

Interview for the role that they are recruiting for. Don’t use the interview to pitch for a different role or start telling them how you would run the company or how great you will be once you have been promoted 5 times. Ambition and a thirst for self-development is great, but they are looking for a candidate to fill a specific function, so show them what a great fit you would be and express what you can bring to that role.

Take advice

There are people who can help you, be it someone who has worked for that company before, worked in a similar role, or just someone with more interview experience than you have.  If you have a recruiter, use their experience.  They will know what the company is looking for and can offer tips and advice on approaching the interview.  Whether it’s from your recruiter or friends in the know, accepting help is a sign of strength. Every day is a school day!