We’re only human, sometimes we make mistakes, and that’s okay. There is so much pressure to make a good first impression in the interview phase that even one mistake can seem like the end of the world. But you can’t let your one mistake cost you your entire interview.
Here are some common interview mistakes and how to recover.
Running late
Time is money, and recruiters are very busy trying to make time to fit in all their interviews. It’s important you respect their time just as much as they have when making the accommodations to schedule your interview.
Solution: If you know you will be late, please do call ahead to let the hiring manager know. Once you arrive at your interview, apologize and explain your reasoning.
Sometimes things come up, and we can’t help it. If you have a legitimate excuse, any reasonable person will understand. After the interview, you can re-apologize in your follow-up and express gratitude for their time.
You blank out
Nerves can get the best of us, especially when there’s a job on the line. Even the most basic questions like “tell me about yourself?” can seem impossible to answer when you’re under pressure.
Solution: If you find yourself blanking out, it’s okay to ask your interviewers for a bit of time out. Take a breath and ask for a minute to collect your thoughts. The recruiter would rather hear a well-thought-out answer than a rushed one anyway. Get a friend to help you prepare for (3)common interview questions to gain confidence for future interviews.
Not prepared
The hiring manager will most likely give you a quick run-down of the position and company, but there is an expectation that you have done your own research. Studying up on the company and what they’re about shows your interest and seriousness in the position.
Solution: Don’t let this fumble mess you up, and continue your interview with confidence. While you can’t do much during the interview, keep trying to hit the rest of those questions out of the park. Afterwards, you can and should research the company. In your (4)follow-up email, talk about a few but specific details about the company that piqued your interest.
Resume mistakes
If you have done any research on job hunting advice, you will know the importance of a customized resume. If you are applying to multiple positions, it can be easy to get information mixed up.
Solution: Be sure first to apologize and then explain that you (5)customize your resumes and that you have accidentally left in unnecessary information. It’s always better to own up than play dumb.
Bottom line
Regardless of how the rest of the interview went or if you landed the job or not, use your mistakes as a learning opportunity. We’re all human, we all make mistakes, but it’s how we correct these mistakes that define us. Good manners can go a long way, and if you can practice some damage control, that interview mistake might not be a total disaster.
About Live Assets | IT Staffing Solutions
Live Assets is a boutique IT Staffing/Recruiting firm specializing exclusively in building IT teams of excellence for the Information Technology sector.
We are a small, but productive team that works closely together and has had a 96% success rate for the past number of years!
We have a diverse number of clients and industries and focus on both full-time and contract I.T. opportunities.
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