7 Deadly Job Interview Mistakes

2024-03-25 by Amanda Sterling

Landing a new job is an exhilarating prospect, but it all comes down to nailing the job interview. Unfortunately, many candidates unwittingly sabotage their chances by making these common interview mistakes.

Mistake #1: Not Preparing Relevant Examples

One of the most frequent job interview mistakes to avoid is not having a ready supply of specific examples from your work experience that illustrate the skills mentioned in the job description. Interviewers often ask behavioral questions to gauge how you've handled various situations. "Tell me about a time when..." is a cue to provide a detailed example.

What you don't want to say during a job interview:

Interviewer: "Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer or client."

Candidate: "Um, I've dealt with difficult customers before, but I can't really recall a specific example right now..."

The Fix:

Thoroughly review the job description and prepare at least one relevant example for every requirement listed. Run your examples through an AI coach during mock interviews to see how strong they are.

Example:

Interviewer: "Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer or client."

Candidate: "Certainly. Last year, we got a new customer who tried to renegotiate the contract and kept asking for discounts. Instead of arguing, I redirected their attention to the value our product generated for them. First, I asked them about what success meant for their business. Then I showed them how to measure the same success metrics using our product. The customer was amazed once they saw how much our product improved their success metrics. They understood they were already getting a great deal."

Mistake #2: Long Rambling Responses

Research shows that the most effective interview answers are under four minutes long. While you want to provide comprehensive answers, rambling responses often lack focus and clarity. This job interview mistake is frequently made when candidates don't have a guiding structure for their examples.

What you don't want to say during a job interview:

Interviewer: "Can you describe a time you faced a major challenge in a project?"

Candidate: "Well, let me think...there were a number of challenges, but I guess one of the biggest was just dealing with a lot of difficult interpersonal conflicts between different teams and departments. You know how it is, people get territorial and then they start saying things behind each other's backs and it just becomes this whole drama circus, which I had to try to mediate and resolve constantly. But really, that's pretty normal for any workplace when you get different personalities involved..."

The Fix:

Utilize the STAR method to keep your responses succinct yet informative. Describe the context (Situation), the obstacles faced (Task), the steps you took (Action), and the outcome (Result). This technique ensures your examples are clear and impactful.

Example:

Interviewer: "Can you describe a time you faced a major challenge in a project?"

Candidate: "Absolutely. On a recent project, we were tasked with launching a new software product within a tight 6-month deadline. (Situation) As the project manager, my task was to ensure the project was completed on time and within budget, despite significant unforeseen technical challenges. (Task) I re-assessed the project plan, prioritized critical features over nice-to-haves, and implemented agile methodologies to increase flexibility. I also facilitated daily stand-up meetings to improve team alignment and problem-solving. (Action) Despite the initial setbacks, we successfully launched the software on schedule, receiving positive feedback from stakeholders for meeting the critical functionalities. (Result)"

Mistake #3: Not Specifying Lessons Learned

This is one of the common interview mistakes even among senior employees. When reflecting on challenges from your past experience, it's important to explicitly state what you learned from the situation. Interviewers want to see self-awareness and an ability to learn from setbacks.

What you don't want to say during a job interview:

Interviewer: "Can you tell me about a time you failed at something and how you handled it?"

Candidate: "Yeah, once my team was working on a huge prospecting campaign but we didn't have the resources allocated properly. So things just fell apart and we missed all our targets. What a mess that was..."

The Fix:

After providing the background, your role in a difficult situation, and various solutions you've tried, clearly explain the key takeaway or lesson you gained from the experience. Don't be afraid of saying what you'd have done differently. You will demonstrate the coveted growth mindset and emotional intelligence. It's easy to combine this technique with the STAR method.

Example:

Interviewer: "Can you tell me about a time you failed at something and how you handled it?"

Candidate: "When I first joined my previous company, I was asked to take over the implementation of a new marketing automation system, which was already six months behind schedule. (Situation) It was tough motivating the team who were burnt out and skeptical after the previous false starts. (Task) However, I made it a point to overcommunicate, celebrate small wins, and bring in temporary resources to regain momentum. (Action) I consider this project a failure because we launched two months later than the revised timeline. However, we ended up delivering a very successful implementation that doubled the company's revenue after the first year. (Result) In retrospect, I could have started the recruitment process for temporary help earlier instead of waiting until the project was re-scoped. Now, I always make sure to have a pipeline of promising full-time and temporary workers ready for contingencies. (Lesson)"

Mistake #4: Oversharing Inappropriate Details

While being honest is admirable, some details are best left unsaid during an interview. Divulging overly personal information or revealing company secrets from previous roles can raise red flags and may even cause legal problems for you or your interviewers.

What you don't want to say during a job interview:

Interviewer: "What did you like most about your last company?"

Candidate: "I worked on some James Bond-level technology. For example, I developed a laser communication system for a new classified network of spy satellites. As these satellites will be launched in lower-Earth orbit, I used…"

The Fix:

Stick to discussing professional experiences directly relevant to the role. Avoid mentions of sensitive personal matters, such as health issues or pregnancy. Avoid any potential violations of non-disclosure agreements. Your potential employer wants to hear about your skills, not about secret inventions of their competitors.

Example:

Interviewer: "What did you like most about your last company?"

Candidate: "One of the things I appreciated most was the emphasis on fostering a collaborative and innovative team culture. As a project lead, I prioritized creating an environment of psychological safety, where team members felt comfortable experimenting, learning from each other, and sharing their insights openly. For instance, we had a regular team lunch every Friday dedicated to discussing the lessons gained throughout the week. This approach enabled us to develop groundbreaking solutions and push the boundaries of what was possible. While I cannot disclose specific details due to confidentiality obligations, I'm proud of the breakthroughs we accomplished as a team."

Mistake #5: Excessive Negativity

While addressing shortcomings is expected, dwelling excessively on negative experiences is one of the interview mistakes to avoid. Even if you feel it's deserved, complaining about former employers or colleagues reflects poorly on your attitude.

What you don't want to say during a job interview:

Interviewer: "Tell me about a time when you needed to deliver negative feedback to a team member."

Candidate: "I was the engineering manager and there was a new hire as the frontend engineer. His code was very sloppy and actually made the product slower. He didn't properly test his own code. I told him several times to improve the quality of his work. But, in the end, I had to fire him."

The Fix:

While addressing weaknesses, reframe them as opportunities for self-improvement. Emphasize what you've learned and how you've applied those lessons. Maintain a positive, solution-oriented mindset. Show empathy for others and their constraints.

Example:

Interviewer: "Tell me about a time when you needed to deliver negative feedback to a team member."

Candidate: "Let me walk you through my usual process. First, I clarify the context. For example, last week I told one of our front-end engineers: 'We have a strict rule that no code change can slow down the app by more than 100 milliseconds.' Then I share my observation of their behavior: 'I've noticed that the last two changes you made had to be reverted because latency exceeded this level.' Then I talk about the negative impact: 'As a result, we had to postpone a major product launch by a week.' Then I ask about the causes: 'I'm wondering what caused this situation?' In this case, the newly hired engineer didn't know we had a rule against increasing latency. So, we agreed on the next steps: He started to test his code for latency, while I added this missing rule to the onboarding document for all new hires."

Mistake #6: Making It All About You

While you aim to showcase your abilities and past achievements, don't forget that the interviewer is evaluating whether you're a good fit for their core needs and challenges.

What you don't want to say during a job interview:

Interviewer: "What are you most proud of?"

Candidate: "I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation after five grueling years of research. Honestly, nothing that I experienced in the industry afterwards was as hard as this."

The Fix:

Frame your qualifications around how they enable you to benefit the company and fulfill the role's essential functions. Discuss how you can immediately contribute value if hired. AI interview preparation may help you identify which aspects of your experience are most relevant for your prospective employer's needs.

Example:

Interviewer: "What are you most proud of?"

Candidate: "I'm most proud of introducing the latest cutting-edge machine learning algorithms from academia into my previous company. After we productionized them, we were able to increase the accuracy of our predictions by 55%. From our conversations today, it seems this aligns well with your company's product roadmap, which will require highly accurate predictive models. As a paper reviewer for several major academic journals and conferences, I'm always on the lookout for new methods that can give my team an edge."

Mistake #7: Not Asking Insightful Questions

Failing to ask thoughtful questions about the company and role signals a lack of genuine interest or preparedness. An engaged, curious candidate makes a far better impression.

What you don't want to say during a job interview:

Interviewer: "Do you have any other questions for me?"

Candidate: "No, I think you've covered just about everything."

The Fix:

Use one of these 10 best questions to ask an interviewer at the end of a job interview about strategic priorities, culture, challenges, and growth opportunities.

Example:

Interviewer: "Do you have any other questions for me?"

Candidate: "Thank you for asking. I'm very curious: What do you see as the near-term opportunities and challenges that this team could address?"

By avoiding these seven critical job interview mistakes, you'll present yourself as a polished, thoughtful professional worthy of serious consideration.