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Mistakes in the interview room are commonplace; after all, we’re all human. No one has a perfect interview technique, and, of course, some mistakes are inevitable. However, as part of your interview preparation, it’s vital that understand what the most common interview mistakes are, in order to avoid making them yourself:

1. Arriving late

Candidates can look up their route the night before, leave early, and still turn up late due to unexpected delays. Whilst these situations are often through no fault of their own, it can set a very bad tone for the rest of the interview, not to mention what it implies about their time management skills.

My advice here is that you can never be too organised when it comes to planning your journey. I would suggest that you practice your route beforehand if it’s particularly unfamiliar and aim to get to the interview location about 45 minutes before. Head to a nearby coffee shop and use this time to go over your notes, take some deep breaths, and get into a positive, confident mindset.  Make sure you’re sat in the reception of the company building at least 15 minutes before the interview.

2. Ignoring everyone besides the interviewer

On the day of the interview, you will come across plenty of your potential colleagues; whether it’s in the elevator on the way up, whilst you’re sat in reception or walking through the corridor on the way to the interview room. Understandably you will be in the “interview zone” focusing most of your attention on the hiring manager and what you are going to say to them. Nonetheless, don’t forget to at least smile to everyone you walk past. If time permits, for example, when sat in reception, make polite conversation.

Often, the hiring manager will ask these people for their first impression of you. Of course, they won’t base their hiring decision on this alone, but if you come across well, this will certainly will work in your favour and speak volumes about how well you will get on with your colleagues.

3. Reciting the company website

One of the first interview questions you are likely to get asked will be “what do you know about the company?”  You may have done your research, and can recite the company website off the top of your head, but do you actually understand what the business does, and could you explain this in your own words?

Instead of reading off the website, look to other sources such as social media updates, case studies and press releases. This can give you some context and provide a better understanding of how the business works in practice. In the interview, talk about your findings and mention what you found interesting. This will show you are engaged and have made a conscious effort to understand the business better because you care about this opportunity.

4. Rambling on

It’s natural to go off on a tangent when you’re nervous, and that couldn’t be truer in the interview room; whether it’s through fear of an uncomfortable silence or just a build-up of pre-interview nerves channelling themselves into anxious energy.

Ahead of the interview, have a structure in your mind for your interview answers. For instance, in a previous blog, we discuss using the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Analysis, Result) when it comes to answering competency based questions. Practice answering some interview questions, sticking to this framework. You will find that having a loose structure to stick to will help you to stay on track with your answers, and cover off all of your main points succinctly.

5. Speaking negatively

During the interview, certain questions can prompt candidates to speak negatively about themselves or their previous company, whether it’s answering the question “why are you looking to leave your current employer?” or “Tell me about a time you failed”.

Whilst I encourage candidates to be as transparent as possible, you should also tread carefully in these situations. I would advise you research which tricky interview questions you might get asked, and that you practice phrasing your answers in a positive and factual way. For instance, if asked “why do you want to leave your current employer?” you could say something like “I am looking to leave my current employer because whilst I feel that this role has taught me a lot, I believe I could progress my career much further in a larger organisation such as this one, with more opportunities for development”. You can read more advice on how to answer difficult interview questions here.

6. Not having questions at the end

One of the biggest gripes for a hiring manager is a candidate who doesn’t have anything to ask at the end of the interview. Make sure you prepare a number of questions, but listen out for answers to these during the interview, and have some spare questions up your sleeve.

It would also be a good idea to go into the interview with a notepad in hand so that you can jot down any new questions which crop up as the interviewer speaks more about the organisation and the role.

The bottom line is, most interview mistakes are avoidable, you just need to know which to look out for. One final thing I will say is that despite your best intentions, you may still make a common interview mistake. If this happens, don’t beat yourself up. This doesn’t mean you have ruined your chances, and at the very least, you have learnt a valuable lesson for next time.

• How best can you prepare for competency based interview questions?
• Change your thinking and calm your interview nerves
• “Tell me about a time you failed”
• Got a second interview? Here’s what to expect
• Eight tricky interview questions – and how to answer them

For any interview, it’s essential to translate your strong skills and extensive academic or professional experience. But, to demonstrate your potential to make a positive impact, you must prepare for competency-based interview questions. 

How do competency-based interview questions and answers differ from normal ones? 

So what is a competency-based interview? And how do these questions differ from those in a behavioural interview? 

A standard behavioural interview focuses on general questions. This approach helps managers to gain a broader impression of you and how you might fit within an organisation. They might ask: “how would a team member describe you?” or similar. You should certainly prepare for these types of questions and practise your answers ahead of your interview.

Competency-based questions, on the other hand, test for specific attributes. For example, the interviewer may ask you to “tell me about a time you worked well in a team”.

The interviewer isn’t trying to trip you up by asking this. They want to be certain that you can perform to the standards that the job description requires. Therefore, when preparing to talk about your competencies, I urge you to keep your answers factual and honest.

Answering competency-based interview questions

When answering competency-based questions, use the STAR technique to structure your answers.

STAR approach:

The STAR method focuses on situation, task, action and result. You should ideally structure your answers in this way so that they communicate points about your key skills clearly and concisely. Our helpful guide to the STAR technique should get you started, but to summarise:

Situation: Describe a situation you were in, at work or beyond 

Task: Tell the interviewer what you needed to do

Action: Describe what you actually did in response to the task

Result: Explain what happened as a result of your actions and whether you achieved success.

Following this set method may also come in handy if you find your mind going blank in a job interview.

Which key competencies will you need to prove?

We’ve compiled a list of the main competencies that most hiring managers will look for. You may find that the interviewer focuses on some requirements more than others.

Before your interview, study the job description and expected duties involved. Use your knowledge of the role and the person specification to judge which competencies are most important. Focus your interview preparation on ways to address these targeted competencies.

Beyond job-specific skills and interview answers, you should also consider the following key competencies. You should prepare for a competency-based question on any of the below for almost every job:

Competency 1: Specific technical skills 

Start by identifying the core abilities needed for this role. These will be skills which require some degree of training and education, for example, Microsoft Excel. Give examples of times that you have used these skills or programmes in the past.

For instance, an interview might ask:

“Can you talk about what you used Microsoft Excel for in your previous role?” 

Try to highlight the key technical skills required for the job before your interview. Prepare some examples of times you have demonstrated these skills throughout your work experience to date. If you have a lot of experience in this area, talk about your most recent examples.

Try to be as specific as possible. Interviewers may interpret generic answers as a lack of clear experience.

Competency 2: Being a team player

Generic skills, such as your ability to work in a team, are essential for most jobs. A hiring manager will want to understand how you can support productivity and company goals. They may test if you are a strong team player by asking:

“Tell me about a time that you and your team worked together to achieve a good result”

Reflect back to all of the times you worked closely with other people to reach a shared objective. Have a couple of examples up your sleeve and focus on how you collaborated and used your interpersonal skills. Try to highlight your own contribution amongst the work of your team members.

Competency 3: Communication skills

The ability to communicate clearly and effectively to a variety of people is essential to just about any role. The hiring manager may ask you something like:

“Can you talk about a time where you built up a strong professional rapport with somebody?”

When giving your answer, mention how you maintained an open, communicative working relationship. Remember that communication goes in two directions. So discuss how you used your listening skills as well as your ability to articulate yourself clearly.

Competency 4: Decision making

In most roles you will need to show that you can make well-informed decisions using your own judgement and knowledge. With this in mind, expect interviewers to ask you a competency-based question like:

“Can you give an example of when you last made a decision which had a positive outcome?”

As you talk through your chosen example, be sure to explain how you came to this decision. Mention criteria such as timeframe, budget, and prioritisation. You should also talk about the results that you achieved.

Competency 5: Organisation

Finding someone who is able to organise their workload will be another key focus for your hiring manager. They may ask you a variation of:

“How do you manage your workload effectively?”

Everyone has their own way of keeping on top of their tasks and responsibilities. Perhaps you have a list of tasks which you order by priority. Be prepared to talk about how you stay organised and in control of your own workload.

Competency 6: Problem solving

The employees who can think of innovative ways to solve a problem are the ones who go on to achieve great things. Taking this into account, your manager may ask something like:

“What’s the biggest challenge you have faced at work?”

Think back, and be ready to talk about this experience positively. It’s important to emphasise how you solved the issue by thinking outside of the box.

Preparing for competency-based interviewing

Every role will vary, but it’s important that you prepare clear, truthful anecdotes which reflect essential employee qualities.

Practise structuring your interview answers using the STAR method. This approach will stand you in good stead for any competency-based interview.

And finally, make sure you practise talking about your skills and experience in a confident and concise way. This, combined with your other interview preparation, will give you the best chance for achieving interview success.

• Change your thinking and calm your interview nerves
• “Tell me about a time you failed”
• Got a second interview? Here’s what to expect
• Eight tricky interview questions – and how to answer them

From racing thoughts and sweaty palms to feeling restless, job interview nerves are natural. In order to exude confidence and make a strong impression, it’s important to calm your nerves before an interview.  

Over the years, I’ve given plenty of advice on how to calm nerves before an interview, including a few core job interview techniques that can help you to quiet negative thoughts. In this blog, I’ll share how to overcome your interview anxiety and give yourself the best chance for success. 

Prepare before your interview starts 

Interview nerves can start long before your allotted time. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep before your interview. Then, it’s important to arrive in plenty of time, around 15 minutes early. This will give you time to reduce your stress levels before meeting your interviewer. 

Put your mind at ease by talking to your recruiter before your interview 

Picking up the phone and speaking to your recruiter is a great way to calm your pre-interview nerves. After all, helping you to prepare for an interview is a key part of their role.   

Call your recruiter if: 

• There is anything playing on your mind about this opportunity. 
• You have any questions that are causing you stress. 
• You are not 100% sure about a certain part of  the interview process. 

Your recruiter will know their client very well, so give them a call to help put your mind at ease. Remember: they had enough faith in you to put you forward for the role. Speaking with your recruiter again might just give you the confidence boost you need.

Practise answering common interview questions

The thought of talking about yourself for the best part of 45 minutes (or more) can often be the cause of interview nerves. Lengthy public speaking doesn’t come naturally to everyone and can be a bit daunting.

If this sounds familiar, then practise answering some common interview questions about your background. Prepare responses about your key skills and attributes and why you think you are right for the job. Your recruiter can provide you with practice interview questions. Or take a look at the linked resources below.

If you can, ask someone you trust to practise interviewing you. Familiarise yourself with answering questions to channel your nervous energy. This will help you to feel comfortable when talking about yourself to a potential employer. It could also make the prospect of doing it in the interview room seem far less scary.

Picture positive outcomes to tackle interview nerves directly

Negative thinking can send the best of us into a downward spiral of anxiety. However, this is not the right mindset to be in before an interview.

Give yourself a pep talk and remind yourself of everything you have achieved so far in your career. Now try to picture positive outcomes in your mind’s eye. Think of building up a good rapport with the interviewer or delivering great answers that set you apart.

To embody this positive outlook:

• Maintain an upright posture and positive, open body language 
• Give direct eye contact to your interviewer  
• Practise deep breathing before you go into your interview if you’re feeling nervous. 

Never underestimate the power of positive thinking as a job interview technique. A positive outlook is key to your career success.

Research your interviewer to change your perception

Meeting an interviewer can be intimidating. This is often because a candidate starts to picture a mysterious, powerful decision maker whose opinion counts for everything. Thinking in this way is enough to get anyone’s interview nerves going.

Minimise this potentially stressful situation by removing the mystery element:

• Look the interviewer up on LinkedIn and put a face to the name.
• Check out their career journey.
• Recognise that this person was once in your shoes, sitting on the other side of the desk feeling nervous.

Consider every interview as a conversation 

An interview should not be an interrogation. The interviewer isn’t trying to trip you up or make you look bad. They simply want to have a conversation about your skills, attributes and experience. It’s also a chance to find out what you know about the organisation and why you want to work there. 

As long as you have prepared to talk about all of these common interview topics, you shouldn’t have anything to be nervous about.

Remember: the interviewer wants to impress you too

In any job interview, there is a balance of power. Yes, this interviewer may be more senior to you. And it’s likely that you really want to impress them because you are keen on this opportunity. Trust me, this feeling is often somewhat mutual.

The interviewer needs to attract the best talent and preserve their organisation’s reputation. Impressing you in the interview room is one sure-fire way to do this.

When you think of it this way, the interviewer becomes less of a scary enigmatic stakeholder, and more of a human being. They simply want to present the company and the opportunity on offer in the best light possible. Their main goal is to learn whether you are suitable for the role.

Look after yourself during the interview cycle

Positive, rational and optimistic thinking will be much easier if you remember to look after your physical health in the lead up to your interview.

Exercise is a scientifically proven technique for reducing stress and anxiety.  Eat well, steer clear of alcohol, caffeine and junk food, and get plenty of rest.

A healthy body goes hand in hand with a healthy mind. Exercise can be one of the best ways to reduce your interview nerves.

Finally, don’t forget to keep things in perspective. Of course, you want this interview to be successful. But, rest assured, you will still get to where you want to be even if you aren’t successful in securing this particular role.  

Above all, try to remember: 

• Follow these steps to calm your interview nerves.  
• This interview isn’t the be all and end all.   
• If this interview isn’t a success, it will be good practice for your next interview. 

• “Tell me about a time you failed”
• Got a second interview? Here’s what to expect
• Eight tricky interview questions – and how to answer them
• 6 ways to show your interviewer that you really want the job
• The do’s and don’ts of networking to find a job 
• Why storytelling could be your key to interview success
• Four tips for delivering the best interview presentation possible
• Seven common temp interview questions