I’ve just spent the last month recruiting, screening and interviewing for a key position on my staff.  We received over 150 resumes, invited 15 people for interviews, and hired one great person.  In the process I realized how much people don’t know about interviewing — including how to get the interview. Here are some of the biggest mistakes we saw — and how you can avoid them.

• Not following the instructions.  If the ad says supply a letter of interest and resume, then provide exactly that.  Many of our applicants only sent a resume, which told us they couldn’t follow instructions.
• Grammatical and typographical errors.  If there was even one error, we excluded the candidate from consideration.  How hard is it to proof your work or ask a friend to do it for you?
• No show/no call.  Believe it or not, some people who were scheduled for interviews never even showed up or let us know they wouldn’t be coming.  That’s one way to create bad Karma.
• Failure to prepare.  You can count on the fact that you’re going to be asked if you have any questions.  Do a little research on the company and come prepared to ask specific questions based on what you learned.  Exhibit some curiosity. In our office, no questions - no job.
• Lack of follow through.  If I ask a multi-part question, I expect all parts to be answered.  And I when I intentionally interrupt, it’s because I want to see if the candidate can go back and pick up where he or she left off.  If you don’t do these things in the interview, you’ll be less likely to do them on the job.
• Brutal honesty.  If you’re asked for a suggestion on how to improve the company’s website, don’t tell the company President to change her picture to a more recent one.  Find a more neutral and politically correct suggestion. 

TAGS: Interview skills