A hot topic and area of concern for many professional women is the nerve-racking process of the job hunt. No matter how seasoned a professional you are, the prospect of making yourself available to scrutiny is scary. We’ve covered the subject from multiple angles including interview tips for introverts, applying for a position you don’t feel completely qualified for, thanking interviewers for their time, and the questions to ask yourself before taking a job.
Today we want to share some of the most detrimental mistakes to avoid during an interview. What are the unsuspecting land mines of this process you might not see coming?
OVERSHARING
Our nerves often get the best of us during interviews resulting in many different forms of word vomit. Your prospective employers are undoubtedly there to get to know you, but sharing too many details about your personal life will almost always make them uncomfortable. Feel free to give them a basic overview of your personal life (if asked), but keep the baby pictures and discussions about your most recent surgical procedure to yourself.
Oversharing also presents itself when discussing previous employers. Despite the terms on which you left a previous company, it’s never appropriate to discuss any lingering harsh feelings. You never know what connections your potential employer has. It also leaves the interviewer wondering if you wouldn’t also bad mouth their company were you to ever leave.
NEGLECTING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is not going away, and it’s more prevalent than ever when it comes to job interviews. In fact, there’s a good chance the first thing a potential employer does as part of the hiring process is search your social media. For better or worse, that’s almost always going to be your first impression.
When going through the hiring process, you have to make sure all of your social media accounts are spotless. If you need to, temporarily delete your accounts. Otherwise, one bad search on Facebook or Twitter could lead to you being passed over for an interview.
NOT PREPARING
Preparation comes in many forms, including everything from your resume to background research on the company. Having acquired adequate knowledge of the company and position you’re applying for shows effort on your end as well as a sincere interest in the job. You never want to insult someone by showing up and “just winging it”. You also want to avoid asking questions you should already know from your preparation.
Sometimes over thinking a situation can lead to even more nerves. So, don’t use our list of common pitfalls to create even more anxiety for yourself. Use this as a tool to become more self aware as you enter your job interview. For more tips on the biggest mistakes to avoid in a job interview, click here, here, or here.