Are You Making Rookie Mistakes in Job Interviews?

Guest Contribution by Devika Arora

Today’s woman is ambitious and hungry for individuality. She is eager to live her dreams, for which she wishes to become financially independent by earning her own bread and butter. This is why an increasing number of women are finding themselves back on the job hunt. But what happens when the same women sit for an interview and are questioned about their capabilities? Why is it hard for them to nail a job interview that should have been a walk in the park? The following article will highlight the 10 of the most common mistakes that women tend to make during job interviews.

1. Displaying Lack of Awareness and Low Confidence
Very few things in life are considered more nerve-wracking than a job interview. And while most women remain calm, there are others whose composed exterior belies fear. There is so much riding on the outcome – future, money, self-esteem, which is why they get the jitters despite having the right qualifications and adequate experience. A lot of this nervousness stems from lack of preparation. So the first step to take when you are informed about the interview is to research about the company and its work culture. Also find out about the compensation package for the same position in competitor companies to get a fair idea of the industry trends. Practice explaining how your skills and background match with what the employer requires. Once you do so, you will be able to intelligently demonstrate how your experience, capability and personality are a good match for the job and your confidence levels will rise.

2. Rambling Without A Purpose
Have you been talking too much while saying too little in interviews? This usually happens when you are nervous and begin to say things that are not relevant, demonstrative or interesting. Talking too much can be both distracting and disrespectful. Most women start off on the “Tell us something about yourself.” question, so make sure you realize the trigger and understand that it can be a pitfall. Keep your answers succinct and if the interviewers require more detail, they will ask for it.

3. Revealing Excessive Personal Information
Despite being super proud of your kids, talking about them in an interview is not the best idea. Your potential boss may not share the same sentiment and even if the interviewer has children, the conversation should be entirely focused on your skills and capabilities. Try to remain professional by avoiding the pet and family angle as the interviewers may feel you are desperate for the job and will end up offering a smaller salary package. You may also give an impression that if hired you will give less importance to work in comparison to personal life, which would impede your employability. So don’t divulge too much of personal information as it displays lack of professionalism.

4. Underplaying Your Strengths
An interview is the perfect time to sing your own praises. But strangely when the time comes, many women feel uncomfortable to brag about why they are better than the other candidates or why they are the best person for the job in concern. They fail to communicate their strengths without the fear of sounding arrogant. For those of you who can’t seem to talk about yourself in superlatives, you can begin your sentences by saying, “I have been told that I’m very good at…,” or “My former supervisors always appreciated my ability to….” No matter what words you choose, try to put up a confident front and sound interested while highlighting your strengths.

5. Inability To Negotiate
One of the reasons why women earn less than men is because they do not negotiate in a professional set-up. The key to a good negotiation is not to accept the first offer made by the employers. Take some time to think about your needs. Is the starting salary lower than expectation? Does the job give you great work flexibility? You should feel free to negotiate the terms of your position. You may consider hiring a career coach who will help empower you to put your best foot forward.

6. Dressing Inappropriately
Recruiters tend to make a decision about you in the first few seconds they lay eyes on you. They judge your professionalism by the clothes you wear. Some women make a mistake by dressing inappropriately for a formal interview when they turn up in short skirts, wild prints, bright colors and plunging necklines. Such apparels scream ‘party girl’ while you would prefer to be thought of as an ‘intelligent, articulate and professional woman’. Remember that you only get one chance to make an impression so dress professionally as that will increase your chances of getting hired.

7. Talking Negatively
When interviewing for a vacancy, the employer is expecting to see how you good you are at handling conflict in an effective and mature way, especially if the position comes with an element of stress, a sales job for instance. When you repeatedly focus on the negative aspects of your previous job or talk badly about your seniors or co-workers, it reflects badly on you. You will see that it will have a reverse effect as now you are the one appearing incompetent and unaccommodating. The panel of recruiters may include your future boss and as you bad-mouth your former boss, he is silently striking you off his list. You should rather focus on what you have learned from a contentious situation and how it helped you succeed.

8. Quickly transforming from the “Seller” to the “Buyer”
Many a times we feel that the interview is going great so we begin to get too comfortable. Don’t get fooled by the tone of the recruiters. You may begin to feel this interview is in the bag but it may not be your lucky day. Women make a grave mistake when they begin to feel like the job is already theirs. That is the time they stop selling their skills and begin to ask questions that should be kept for a later stage. Questions regarding the pay package, vacation time, telecommunication options and benefits should be asked at an appropriate time that is when you’re officially offered the position.

Author bio: Devika Arora is a professional writer who has been writing articles and blogs with a special focus on job search and career development. She is an established author with an experience of more than four years and a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Currently working for job search portal Naukrigulf.com, Devika’s article address the employment needs of job seekers.

Guest advice and opinions are not necessarily those of The Glass Hammer