It’s happened. You’ve updated your resume. You’ve applied. You’ve waited. And you just received an interview.
That’s great news, and now it’s time to get to work. Today’s job market is increasingly competitive, and arming yourself with the right strategies, preparation, and mindset will help distinguish you from the other qualified candidates on the interview roster.
As a career coach and recruiter, I’m privy to both sides of hiring. I help applicants prep for interviews and witness why an employer chooses whether or not to pass on an offer letter. And most people make the same mistakes — and miss out on the same opportunities to dazzle the interviewing team.
Avoid these common interview mistakes to ensure that the next time you hear from the hiring manager, it’s a reason to celebrate.
1. You didn’t do your homework
Job searching requires a large amount of research, from finding the right jobs to preparing your resume and crafting your cover letter so you can catch the hiring manager’s attention.
Keep your research hat on as you prepare for your interview — now’s not the time to sit back and relax. You’d be surprised at the number of applicants who are unprepared for the interview and unfamiliar with the company and its goals.
Before your interview, you should:
See if the company you’re applying to has any recent news or awards. What about within their industry? Be prepared and able to speak to what is happening within the company and the field at large
Research the person you’re speaking to — what is their role? How long have they been with the company? Check out their social media, any shared connections, their background. A common interest can be a great way to break the ice. A targeted question about their experience can show your interest
Print out your research. Keep it in an inconspicuous place that you can reference throughout your interview. That way, if you get nervous, you won’t risk forgetting some of your major talking points
2. Get physical
Hiring managers and employers are saturated with digital resumes and portfolios, which can get lost or start to blur together. To stand out, go old school.
Print out five physical copies of your resume to pass out to the interviewing team
Prepare a portfolio to share with them — this can include examples of work, references, reviews, and achievements. Having this handy shows that you’re proactive and makes the process easier on the interviewing team
Ask for business cards as you leave to send personal thank-you emails
3. You’re not asking the right questions
A common job-seeking mistake? You’re prepared to answer questions. But you’re not ready to ask them. Preparing smart, thoughtful questions (emphasis on smart and thoughtful) displays your critical prowess and commitment to the role. After all, that’s the kind of proactivity and consideration employers hope you’ll bring to their company.
What kinds of questions should you be asking?
Ask about the company
“How does this company encourage teamwork?”
“What is the turnover rate? What causes it?”
“What are the goals for the company in 1 year? 5 years?”
Ask the hiring manager
“Why did you choose to work at this company?
“What are your biggest challenges? How do you handle them?”
“Who is the top performer on your team? What do they do differently than the others?”
Ask about the role:
“Why is this position open?”
“What does career growth look like for this position?”
“If I was extremely successful after one year of being in this position, what would I have achieved?”
4. You don’t ask them why you’re the wrong fit
As a recruiter, I often receive calls from hiring managers after an interview and hear about why an applicant wasn’t right for a position. But you can avoid this situation in one simple way: ask the hiring manager what would stop them from hiring you immediately.
What are their concerns about hiring you? What makes them worried you’re not ready for the role? Sure, the answer might be hard to hear. But you’ll feel better answering their concerns on the spot and you may find it is a simple misunderstanding. Walk them through specific experiences where you displayed skills that would help solve their problems. Address obstacles in the interview room so you’re not hearing that feedback through recruiters.
It also shows that you’re gritty and not afraid to deal with tough situations — and that you can handle them with grace. It’s a simple question to ask, and the majority of the time, it can be the sentence that separates you from your next career step.
5. You’re focusing on making the right impression
Of course, you should strive to make the best impression and prove to hiring managers why you’re the ideal fit for a job. But don’t forget what happens if you successfully win them over — then, you get to work there.
You need to make sure that’s the opportunity you hope it is.
Treat the interview both as an opportunity to teach the interviewer about your skills and to gauge if the company is a good fit for you. Interviews should be a two-way relationship. Getting a job is always exciting, but making sure it’s the right one is even more important.
6. You’re not channeling your inner salesperson
No, you don’t need to become an expert in sales before stepping into the interview, but you should prepare your closing statement.
Briefly summarize why you would be such a good addition to the team. Then, end with a call to action — it can be as simple as asking the interviewer what the next steps are. Make sure to be polite, assertive, and genuine, and tailor your tone to the situation and the person you’re speaking to.
Remember that goodbye isn’t the end — keep up the momentum after you leave:
Write individual thank you emails to everyone you met within 24 hours
Text or email a thank you to the recruiter (if you used one)
Connect with the people you met on LinkedIn
Really want to make an impression? Depending on the role, consider sending a short video thanking the hiring managers
Ready to ace your next interview? Download our free ebook with everything you need to know about interviewing, from preparing before you get there to selling yourself after you leave.