An article providing tips on how to avoid bad habits during an interview.

Preparing for an interview can be a very stressful period and the last thing that we would want to do is make life difficult for ourselves by doing something we shouldn’t during an interview. Interviews cannot always be great, due to how some of us cope with nerves, but at the same time, we also tend to have bad habits during an interview that we need to cut out to have a good chance of succeeding. There are reasons why our bad habits may kick in during an interview. Those reasons may be that we may get too comfortable during an interview because we may feel as if it is going very well.
This article is aimed to outline the potential bad habbits that we have and how we can get rid of them whilst preparing or while in an interview.

Avoiding eye contact

Eye contact during an interview is very important, in fact the only thing you can do is look at your interviewer, what else is there to focus on? It is very common for candidates to have their eyes wandering around the room while having an interview. This shows a lack of intrest and it also may alert the interviewer that you have a short attention spam. Some candidates may claim that they are shy, that is why they avoid eye contact, but all it does is show that you are listening and foucsed. Try to be 100% focused during an interview.

Appearing uninterested

Appearing disinterested in an interview can appear in many forms. You want to sit up straight, maybe even with a notepad to take notes. A candidate appearing uniniterested may mean them asking many questions that are not related to the job or the interview. It also may mean not preparing questions to ask the interviewer, or not turning up to the interview on time.

Not Knowing anything about the role or company

As you prepare for an interview, it is very likely that you may be asked what you know about the role you applied for and also the company. If you don't know anything about the role or company, there are two questions the interviewer may be thinking.

Why did they apply for this role?

Are they serious about working here?

That will definitely not give the interviewer a good impression. We do so much research on things which may not be as important in life, but we don't treat interviews seriously? Getting interviews today can be very difficult, so when given the chance, it is important to be as prepared as possible.

Dressing inappropriately

Dressing appropriately for an interview is one of the most important things you can do. You want to set a good first impression. Just like how you would make the effort to do your background research on the company, use that same effort to have the best attire possible on the day. If it means planning weeks or days in advance exactly what you will wear to avoid a last minute rush, then do that. It is better to be ready, than to feel embarrased on the day.

Answering phone call or text during interview

In today's day and age, it seems impossible for us to go an hour without sending a text or completing some sort of activity on our phones. You need to make sure you leave your phone isolated during your interview. The best thing to do would be to turn off the phone to avoid all interuptions. If you feel as if you will get a call or message during the time of your interview then make arrangements for the call or text to be handled after your interview. Answering a call or text in an interview, will just come across as a lack of respect, and you don't want that as impression as you apply for a potential job.

Appearing cocky or Arrogant

We all have strengths and it is ok to be confident about those strengths and talents, but there is a limit. You don't want to appear arrogant to your potential employer. Although they are very excited about the prospect of employing a talented candidate, you should also remeber that you will be working with other employees and you don't want to come across as someone who thinks they are above everyone else.

Talking negatively about previous employers

Some candidates who go  to job interviews may have already had a long history of employment, whereas other candidates may be new to the interview experience. If you have been employed in the past, you will have had good and possibly bad experiences in employment. If you have had good experiences with an employer, that's fantastic. If you were unfortunate enough to have a bad experience with an employer, you may want to hold back on speaking about a negative former employer. You will have had bad experiences, but your new potential employer may wonder why they should hire someone who blames thier past employer for all their setbacks. In a workplace, taking responsibilty is key.