During times of economic recession jobs are difficult to come by. If you do find one, there’s stiff competition. To stay ahead of the competition and get the job, you need to avoid some fatal mistakes.

During times of economic recession jobs are difficult to come by. If you get to a job interview, there’s stiff competition. To stay ahead of the competition and get the job, you need to avoid some fatal mistakes.

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  1. Don’t look sloppy – First impressions are vital. No matter how great a track record you have or how merit studded your CV is, if you look sloppy the interviewer/s would probably form a bad impression of you unless you are auditioning for the part of a drunken loser in a TV production. Avoid smelling of alcohol, being on drugs, smelling of garlic or of sweat.
  2. Don’t be late – this is a cardinal sin. This means that you can’t stick to timetables and schedules. If, however, you are late due to some event beyond your control, call and let them know why you are late and when do you expect to arrive.
  3. Don’t panic – They want to hire you because they want competence and not a bundle of nerves, which might become a major burden for other people in the company. Keep your cell phone switched off in case it rings during the interview.
  4. Don’t bring up personal or family issues – unless they are somehow relevant to your doing the job you are applying for. If something is inconvenient, say so but don’t lie. Don’t volunteer extra information about yourself unless it supports your case for being selected.
  5. Don’t try to browbeat or overwhelm the interviewer – This will create a us-versus-them scenario, and they will exercise their power and not hire you. As an interviewee, especially in times of recession you should avoid coming off as arrogant or know-it-all.
  6. Don’t be too gaudy or overdo the designer label game – By looking like a Christmas tree of blink-blink jewellery or as a walking display of designer labels, you are attracting attention to the wrong things and not to your skills and competence. This might put some interviewers off badly.
  7. Don’t underestimate the power of a confident, polite, and friendly appearance – Qualifications and experience would get you halfway in. Usually, recruiters look for skilled persons who would fit in easily with other employees. They do not want new people to distract, dominate, or bully existing employees at the workplace.
  8. Don’t despair – Five rejections don’t make you a bad person or a bad candidate. Try to figure out what they are looking for from the recruiter’s point of view. Here are some ideas about what employers look for in employees. If you feel angry or bitter, that attitude creates a negative impact on interviewers and they will try to avoid dealing with you in the future.

Remember also that there are different types of job interviews. You can read about them here.

Prepare well and trust yourself. Here are some last minute tips to help you. Good luck!