How to fail an interview?

ditzyat50

I reckon when you go for a job, 9 out of 10 times the interviewers have a mental template of the person they are looking for and if you are not that template, nothing you can say or do will make a difference. So just be yourself because chances are that it really isn't personal.

tizerbelle

Apart from the advice already given about preparation, punctuality and during the interview, don't forget that anyone of the people you meet on site could be an informal part of the selection process be that the receptionist if they have a reception area for you to wait in or the person who's desk you get sat next to while you wait for the interviewer even the friendly one that asks if you want a brew.

Do not start spouting off about how gross that pink and yellow car in the car park is or how drunk you got at the weekend etc etc or sit there picking your nose, humming a mindless tune or cracking your knuckles

With anyone on the premises you need to be professional, polite and remember your p's and q's. We often ask staff who have looked after a candidate before an interview for their opinions and if it's close between a couple of candidates, that feedback might sway it one way or the other.

dizzyrascal

I think most of the advice on this thread has been extremely helpful so there is little that I can add.
My only point would be to stick to the 10 minute rule simply because, if you are the first candidate, they may not be ready for you and may be irritated. They may have organised it so there is a natural break between candidates in case one over-runs and being there too early may upset their timing. They may also not want you to see other candidates and you could potentially run into them on the way out if you are early.
Remember, it is all about the first few minutes of the interview!

mattw7

ditzyat50 wrote: »

I reckon when you go for a job, 9 out of 10 times the interviewers have a mental template of the person they are looking for and if you are not that template, nothing you can say or do will make a difference. So just be yourself because chances are that it really isn't personal.

I think this is something to be taken on board for everyone looking to find a new job or to gain employment.

The reality is you are just talking to another person at the end of the day and not everyone in life gets on. Its as much about does the face fit, do you get the right vibes from the person and basically its a hunch. Don't forget the majority of interviewers have good experience on what to look for in a candidate. Some people go OTT when it comes to trying to perfect their interview technique. Simply be yourself, if you put on a fake act its tough to keep up, be yourself, relax and just hope that you are what they are looking for.

LadyMissA

On the other side there is the employer who keeps you waiting 30 mins or ones that have double booked (yes had both of them happen to me)

lmp0507

LadyMissA wrote: »

On the other side there is the employer who keeps you waiting 30 mins or ones that have double booked (yes had both of them happen to me)

I once waited two hours for an interview because they had forgotten about me and couldn't find my cv, I was quite glad I didn't get that job! :rotfl:

mandragora_2

How to fail an interview?

Invite me for interview in your 'caring' organisation, then, when I turn up having prepared, promptly and looking smart, dump me in a dark corner and ignore me for half an hour.
Have your staff walk past me with cups of tea for the following 15 mins, have them all also roundly ignore me and make me feel like a bit of rubbish on the bottom of your shoe.
Call me into a room with a huge panel of widely differing people from a huge range of organisations who plainly don't like you, your organisation, and think the job you've created is a huge waste of taxpayers money, and who delight in tearing strips out of your candidates and you, and each other in some miserable point-scoring 50-minute exercise.
Get me to do a 300 page (well, it felt like it!) psychometric questionnaire, then keep me hanging around for an extra two hours while some overpaid psychiatrist analyses it and spends half an hour telling me everything back that I'd just written in the paper, and that I'd have happily told them about myself, my views and my philosophies in five minutes flat, if it really mattered to them.
Finally, when I get home and send my mileage claim in, as invited, query it on the basis that I'm clealy a liar and have no idea of where I live or where the city is that I've just driven to because you invited me to, and told me you'd pay my petrol costs.



I counted it as a lucky escape, and got the next job instead! It was 20 years ago, and writing this I'm surprised at how bitter I still obviously feel at the way I got treated that day! :rotfl:

I do a lot of interviewing now, and I do try to do a better job of that for the people who we call in. Best of luck with the whole job search - and just keep plugging away. If you keep getting interviews, you're doing well. Your 'right one' will be along any day now. Try not to get too demoralised, though I know it's hard.

sickofusernames

Timmne wrote: »

Personally it does annoy me when candidates turn up more than 5 minutes early, simply because I don't always have the space for them to wait! In an old job I had, my office had glass walls and could be seen from reception where the candidates were waiting. When the receptionist called me to let me know they had arrived, it then looked rude if I didn't see them straight away, despite the candidate not knowing that I had notes to make from the last interview, or about the next one.

Interviewees aren't psychic, so if turning up more than 5 minutes early annoyed you then maybe you should have mentioned not to in the mail/letter you sent to each individual required for interview.

Maybe bad time management skills or not enough time given to dry-run an interview?

15 years ago I had a great interview for an entry level job for a telecommunications company, none of the usual fluff that you get asked in every interview nowadays and I remember the manager telling me at the end it was one of the worst interviews he'd done. But he liked me and gave me a chance saying "You better not let me down!", he never looked back and I excelled in my role and didn't let him down once.

pcunite

There are so many tips. The best tips I think are to:
* Research the company, their brand, and the job position
* Offer to demonstrate a solution or how you'd help in the interview.

RobertoMoir

Timmne wrote: »

Haha I would believe the FD thing actually - it's frightening.

I always treat an interview to only be 70% interviewing the candidate - the other 30% is them deciding whether they want to work for the company. This means that me being smart, offering a decent environment and not making them feel nervous is important.

I'm glad to hear you say this - I'd go as far as to say its a 50/50 process myself, not 70/30, but an interview really should be a two way thing.

Just as the candidate needs to be able to describe how they did whatever in their last job, it should be equally apparent that the interviewer should be able to answer the candidate when they ask "so if I get the role, what would a typical day be like". And "No day here is typical" from an interviewer is on a par with a candidate who says "I don't have any weaknesses" when asked how they could improve themselves.