WORST MISTAKES TO MAKE IN AN INTERVIEW
Rambling: Often when we get nervous or don’t know the answer to a question, we begin to ramble and overshare. It can be extremely apparent from an interviewer’s perspective if you don’t know which direction to take a question or cannot stop talking. When you get a question, take a moment to pinpoint the structure of your answer before you begin speaking.
Being too rehearsed: It’s good to be prepared going into interviews, but it’s also possible to be too prepared to the point that you sound robotic. Map out what you want to say for each type of question, but also be natural and speak how you would to a family member you really want to impress (more professional but still yourself).
Underselling your experiences: If you are going into an interview with limited experience, it can be very easy to undersell and discount what you have done so far. Your role or title does not matter as much as how you talk about your experience and the impact you have made. Whether you worked at a startup or Google, speak confidently about what you have done.
Overly confident: While a little confidence can go a long way, too much confidence will leave a negative impression on your interviewers. Firms are interviewing many candidates with similar experiences and a big way to differentiate between interviewees is how well a potential hire will fit in with the culture. Overconfidence at this stage in your career might scare employers away from working with you.
Badmouth former employers: This should be known already but will send an immediate red flag to the interviewing team. How you speak about your former employers signals how you speak about your future employers, so keep it as neutral as possible.
Not asking good questions: Think about how many interviews each firm does. Now think about how boring it is to answer the same “what does your day to day look like” or “what do you expect from interns”-esque questions. Instead, do some research and come with FIRM specific and CANDIDATE specific questions (yes, you heard right, tailor them to you). For instance, “I know your company has done work in the sports industry and I am very interested in this area of the business, what makes working with these clients different than other industries?”
Not knowing the interviewer’s names or titles: We’ve all been there, you head to an interview with all your answers jumbling around in your head but alas, you have no clue who you’re meeting. Do a bit of research into your interviewers and at the very minimum know their names, this could save you from some embarrassment.
One siding your interview: When you head into an interview, let’s be honest, you’re probably really hoping for a job. That being said, don’t “one side” your interview and only consider whether you would be a good fit for them, take this as an opportunity to investigate whether you would be happy working at their firm as well.