You meet all sorts of people at interviews. All walks of life. Some candidates are great, some are good and many are poor at performing at interviews. More often that not candidates fail.
Sometimes it’s the basic things that candidates don’t get right. Sometimes it’s the small things that matter. The things that we don’t realise we do. These can have a significant impact on how others see or judge us. Whatever it is, it can mean the difference between success and failure. That might sound ridiculous, but it’s surprising what candidates do or don’t do in interviews.
I’ve pulled together a 41 reasons why candidates fail at interviews. Many of these are from my own experience (number 41 is my favourite and shocked me). Others are from interviewers who’ve said to me, ‘You’ll never guess what that interviewee just did?’
Enjoy reading the list. Laugh at some of them. But please make sure you avoid them and don’t add to the list. Don’t fail at interviews!
41 Reasons Why Candidates Fail
- Poor preparation
- Displaying a negative attitude or generally being negative
- No enthusiasm for the company or the role
- Being dishonest
- Vague or uninteresting interview answers
- Arriving late
- Arriving too early
- Being rude to the receptionist
- Smelling like a cigarette
- Dressed inappropriately
- Wearing sunglasses
- Keeping a scarf on during the interview
- Wearing too much perfume or aftershave
- Shaking hands too weakly or too strong
- Complaining that you were kept waiting for the interview
- Sitting in a too relaxed or aggressive manner
- Chewing gum, a pen or playing with your hair
- Forgetting or mispronouncing the name of the interviewer
- Forgetting what is written on your CV/Resume
- Being unprepared for the standard interview questions
- Lying about your skills, experience, knowledge and qualifications
- Being rude or uncomplimentary about your previous company or boss
- Sharing too much personal information
- Failing to explain how your skills match the job in question
- Interrupting the interviewer
- Asking too many questions or irrelevant questions
- Not asking good questions
- Yawning
- Not making eye contact or making too much
- Getting angry or defensive
- Using phrases like “you know”
- Laughing at inappropriate moments
- Sounding desperate or overeager
- Checking the time
- Asking about the salary too early
- Having poor manners
- Being overconfident
- Not building rapport
- Not listening to the interviewer’s questions
- Inappropriate photos or comments on social media
- Keeping a tissue for cleaning your glasses in your bra
Is there anything bizarre that’s happened to you or you’ve done in an interview?
Houston's F&A Recruiter and Talent Connector 