Why You're Not Making It Past The First Interview.

You’re getting interviews but don’t seem to be making progress to the next stage. You wish you had feedback but the recruiters aren’t giving you any. This may leave you unsure of what you are doing right and what you may be doing wrong, and that’s a frustrating position to be in when you want to learn how to do better so that you can finally reach your goal of landing the job. 

Well, here's the good news: The fact that you are being invited to interviews means that your resume is obviously doing its job, so no need to rush and find a resume writer for a revamp. You're also getting past the screening interview, so that's another good thing! However, if you don't seem to make it past that 1st main interview, chances are there is something you aren't doing right there and need to improve on. But the fact that you aren't getting direct feedback as to what that is exactly means you will have to figure this out for yourself with a big dose of honest self awareness.

Below is a list of 15 common mistakes people make at interviews. Think about the last few unsuccessful interviews you were in and ask yourself truthfully if it's possible that you may have been guilty of any of these mistakes. Growing and getting better at interviews begins with getting really honest with yourself, so keep an open mind and see if you can identify what could be holding you back so you can identify what you need to do to improve and get to the next stage.

1. Your arrival to the interview left a bad impression. 

Perhaps you arrived too late or you arrived too early. Most of us know to show up a few minutes early for an interview, but did you know that arriving too early can be as off putting as showing up late? Another mistake I've witnessed first hand is candidates being rude to the receptionist. The interview is a process in which every aspect of your behaviour is being scrutinized from the moment you walk in the door so be mindful of how you interact with others as their feedback may also impact how you are perceived.  

2. You didn't follow instructions and came unprepared. 

Some companies may ask you to bring certain items with you to the interview such as your application form, resume, ID, references or proof of education. Whatever it is, they are requesting it for a reason and if you cannot follow these instructions by bringing them with you it's likely to be taken as an indication you cannot be trusted to follow instructions on the job either. 

3. Your appearance let you down. 

Industry and company culture should influence the outfit you choose for an interview, and the general rule of thumb is to dress one level smarter than the office norm. Both over and under dressing can give the wrong impression, however, your appearance is more than just the clothes you wear. Unkempt hair or clothing, body odor or overpowering smells, and shuffling through a unorganized bag, can be taking as signs that you don’t have your act together or don’t care enough about the interview to prepare. Many managers may also see this lack of refinement as an indicator that they can’t trust you to positively represent their team or the company.

4. You failed to engage and build a connection with the interviewer.    

In a competitive job market you have to do more than show you could do the job based on skills and experience alone. You also have to make your interviewer connect and bond with you, and you do this by adjusting your communication style to align with theirs. This will help them feel more comfortable with you and able to envision working with you. 

5. You didn't ask good questions. 

Asking strategic, thoughtful and intelligent questions can really make a difference by showing that you are prepared, did your homework and have genuine interest in contributing to the mission of the team or organisation you are applying for. Asking none or the wrong ones can have the opposite effect. It's important to keep in mind that the objective of an interview is to convey you have the experience and skills necessary to fulfill the job while assuring the interviewer that you are prepared to commit, work hard and be successful in the role. Often they will evaluate this on the questions you ask or don’t ask, so be sure to prepare questions that support this objective by showing you have a strong understanding of what the job entails and that you want to learn more about the vision for the role, as well as potential obstacles and career opportunities that may exist. Don’t ask about topics that you should have researched already, and don’t ask questions about schedules, hours, vacation and benefits (instead, save these questions for later down the line once they have shown an interest in you.)

6. Your answers were either too brief or too long- winded. 

Being too verbose may leave the interviewer wishing you would stop talking, while being too succinct in your answers stops them from getting to know you well enough. This is why interview preparation is so important, as it allows you the opportunity to effectively structure your answers and strike the right balance of providing all the information needed without being too wordy. 

7. Your non-verbal cues let you down.

Basic social cues like hand shakes, eye contact, hand gestures, facial expressions and body language can tell volumes about you. In fact researchers claim that as much as 93% of communication is non verbal in nature, and that the words that you say are interpreted through the lense of what is seen and the perception the listener has of you. So it is vital to pay attention to how you are presenting yourself to ensure your non verbal signals are aligned to the overall message you wish to give over that you are prepared, appropriately confident (though not overly so) and secure etc.

Asides from being mindful of your general body language by having good posture, making eye contact and smiling when appropriate, you may also want to stay away from socially awkward behaviours such as keeping your coat on, holding your bag in your lap or leaving your phone out during the interview. Practicing your interview answers in advance can also help you avoid distracting behaviors like fidgeting, and steady streams of “ums” and “uhs”.

8. You were not memorable and didn't sell your value clearly enough. 

Your average interviewer will talk to a lot of candidates before filling the position, so you have to be able to stand out from the crowd if you want the job offer. It's important therefore to know your value. (How are you going to make or save them money? What problem can you solve? Or what pain point can you alleviate?) Being clear about what you bring to the table and why you are the best candidate for the job, will help you articulate this more effectively and convince the interviewer to see it also. Demonstrating the value you can bring to their team and organisation through effective storytelling and examples are what make you more memorable and set you apart from the competition.

9. You gave inconsistent answers, lied, or didn’t seem trust-worthy. 

Don’t make up stories or tell half truths because you can get caught out or end up giving inconsistent answers that will lose you trust and credibility. If you feel pressure to lie about your knowledge and experiences, remember that being straight forward by saying you don't know or have never done something before (but are willing to learn), is better than being dishonest or giving a long-winded, confusing answer. If the hiring manager is left feeling they can't trust you then they won’t hire you. If there are difficult issues you don’t know how to address, such as getting fired from a previous job or having a criminal record, seek help and guidance to prepare your answers for these so you can talk about your situation in a way that is positive and balanced.

10. You spoke negatively about a previous employer. 

Be careful not to talk poorly about your previous employer, as it may show that you have poor judgment, or that you are a complainer, immature, unable to let go of the past, unhappy and unwilling to be accountable. Not exactly traits they are looking for in their employees. It may also leave the interviewer questioning if eventually you might end up feeling the same way about them and bad mouthing them in the same way.  

11. You came across as over qualified or unenthusiastic about the job.  

When interviewing for a lower level job then what you've had before, keep in mind your interviewer is going to have doubts about whether this is a job you really want or something you are applying for out of desperation. This is a problem because nobody wants to hire, train and invest time, money and energy on someone who is likely to leave as soon as a better offer comes along. It's important therefore to convey that you want the position and are motivated to excel in the role long-term. So think about why you want the position besides from the paycheck, and channel the part of you that can feel enthusiastic about the position into the interview. Unless you can demonstrate genuine desire and commitment, most recruiters are not going to take a chance on you. This is also why asking about salary, and benefits is not advised until further down the line as it sends the message that your interest in the job is centered around what’s in it for you rather than a desire to contribute.  

12. You acted overbearing or overly confident.

It's certainly important to be confident at an interview, but not to the point that you may appear full of yourself, opinionated, closed to learning or receiving feedback, and difficult to work with. Instead, you want to strike a balance between showcasing your strengths and specialties while also showing that you are an open minded team player.

13. You marketed yourself as a jack of all trades rather than a specialist.

Many candidates like to market themselves as being skilled in many different areas, in the hopes that this will broaden their job search and attract recruiters looking for a diverse skill set. While the logic is valid, recruiters are actually more interested in finding specialists rather than generalist as they assume that someone who is an expert in their field has the intelligence and ability to transfer their skills to another, while a generalist is more likely seen as someone who never took the time or interest to deep dive and fully develop any particular skill. They are also looking for someone who is passionate about the role and invested in it rather than someone pledging their bets by applying for a range of different positions. 

14. You let your nerves get the better of you.

Getting nervous before an interview is not uncommon and interviewers are likely to cut you some slack for displaying normal signs of this. However, listening to negative self-talk can be problematic as they may cause you to lose confidence in yourself which can affect your body language, tone of voice and the words that you use in talking about yourself down, all of which can determine the level of confidence the interview has of you in return. One of the best ways to alleviate nerves is by being prepared with a system and approach on how to navigate your way through the interview.

15. You shared too much about yourself.

While it’s fine to share a little about yourself outside of your work experience as a way of helping the interviewer get to know you better and connect with you, be careful about sharing too much. One of the key objectives to an interview is to discover if you are a good cultural fit with the team and the company as a whole, so be careful not to share aspects of your life, your values and passions or your opinions, that may leave them questioning this. By sharing too much about yourself you also risk steering the interview off course or coming across as unprofessional. This is another reason why it’s so important to prepare your speaking points in advance. 

Do you think you might have been guilty of any one (or more) of these common interview mistakes in the past? Because the sooner you can identify your area(s) for improvement, the sooner you can take control and make a stronger impression at your next interview. All of these mistakes can be avoided with the right practice and preparation. This is why it’s really worth the time to analyze where you may be falling short, so that you can develop a strategy to correct it and build new powerful interview skills to get you the job you really want.

If you want additional guidance on how to prepare for an interview or any other aspect of the job seeking process, please feel free to:

• Connect with me on LinkedIn & DM me for a free 30 minute consultation,
• Follow my business page and/or join my FB community for more tips & resources on how to get hired and find a fulfilling job,

• Download my Interview Preparation Toolkit, which includes a list of example questions, questions by category, tips and a workbook,
• Read my articles entitled "Take control of your interview by understanding why recruiters love to ask TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF" and "Behavioural interview questions. What are they & how should you answer them?",
• Sign up for my 2 week interview preparation program.