Behaviour check at job interview: Keep these in mind

We know that job interviews can be unnerving; but being well-prepared can help reduce the butterflies in your stomach. Here are behaviours to steer clear of at your next interview:

Arriving late: Being tardy creates the impression that you don’t respect your interviewer’s time and don’t take the job opportunity seriously.

Dressing inappropriately: A miniskirt and halter is perfect for a night out, but not for an interview that doesn’t involve runway modelling. Dressing shabbily (crumpled shirt and jeans) isn’t ideal either. Research the kind of dress code the company follows, and dress accordingly.

Freezing up: It’s understandable that you may be nervous at an interview. But if you tend to freeze up, work on building your confidence with positive self-talk. The interviewer may overlook the odd cases of stammering, but if you freeze altogether, it gives the impression that you may not be able to handle yourself in a job. Try public speaking classes to overcome the fears you have.

Lying: Lying in your CV or at an interview will not help you in the long-term. You may not be able to follow through and provide the experience or knowledge you claimed to have. And backtracking from the lie or explaining it with more lies only makes it messier.

Talking about personal issues: Avoid going into personal details of your finances, relationship, legal issues or past illnesses. Even if one of those is the reason you left your last job, your interviewer doesn’t need to know it. Let the discussion revolve around your professional experience rather than your personal circumstances.

Covering up weaknesses: If you’re asked about your weak points, brashly saying things like: ‘My weakness is my impatience with people who don’t work hard enough’ comes off as insincere. The message it relays is that you can’t stand someone who isn’t as stellar an employee as you are—and the emphasis rests on the latter half. Instead, honestly discussing your weaknesses portrays maturity and objectivity, and will probably help your case more than harm it.

source: techgig.com