7 Ways to Avoid Leaving a Bad Impression in a Job Interview
People often ask how to make a good impression at a job interview, but forget to ask how to avoid making the worst impression. It’s a fine line between the two, find out here how to stop yourself from ending up on the bad applicant list!
1. The first rule of interview etiquette: don’t be late!
This probably seems super obvious, but it’s easy to get stuck in the parking lot without a park or have a train delayed. Late shows are often an automatic no, so aim to get wherever you’re going an hour early, that way there’s no way you can be late. Find the office, see how to get in, then go sit in a coffee shop and go over your interview preparations.
2. Make your first impression a good first impression
When you first walk in the door the last thing you want is for the hiring manager to mentally disregard you before you finish crossing the interview room. Clothes should be clean and professional and don’t forget to smile and greet the room.
3. Keep an eye on your body language
Start with a firm handshake, make regular eye contact and don’t cross your arms. The HR team will be making their hiring decision based largely on how much they like you. After all, you have all the qualifications needed or you wouldn’t be in the room, so make a great first impression keep your body language open and welcoming, and if you have to, practise a firm handshake beforehand.
of candidates are rejected because of a bad handshake
4. Get confident, not cocky
You know why you’re the right person for the job, so, communicate this to the people making the hiring decision. That said, having a positive attitude is not the same as thinking that you’re about to be on the cover of Forbes. (Unless you are, in which case, absolutely find a way to slip that into the interview) Don’t leave the interview with a comment like “well I’m sure I’ll be hearing from you soon!” or tell them that you’ve got no weaknesses when they ask. Remember, they have to like you to hire you.
5. Do some research and don’t ignore the corporate culture of the company
There’s no way you’re going to make a great first impression if you walk in jeans and a button up and everyone else is in three-piece suits. This comes down to doing your research. You need to know the basics of the company, including how they brand themselves.
of candidates are rejected because of a bad handshake
6. Bad mouthing your previous employer is not the way to get the job
It may seem like pointing out how you could have done everything better than the at your last job will help you close the deal, but it will do the opposite. All you’re doing is showing your potential employer how you’ll talk about them outside of the hiring process. Not the best to leave them with!
7. Be honest about your job titles and skill set
This is another trap that many people fall into. Be confident, but always honest. If you think you need to improve on something, either avoid mentioning it, or even better, tell them how you’ve taken steps to get better at. Lying will only make you look dishonest, which is not the right impression to make in a job interview.
What to do after a bad job interview
If you do feel like you left a bad, there are a few things you can do.
First of all, don’t make any contact immediately. Just in case it was a case of job interview jitters, and you actually left a good impression, give yourself some time to calm down and reflect. There are many stories of people who thought they’d had a bad interview but got the job, so there’s no need to panic just yet.
If you’re in the interview and there are bad job interview signs like the interviewers checking their watches constantly, fall back on your knowledge of the company and the interviewers so make sure you’re going to stand out amongst the job candidates in a good way.
If you’ve given it some time and still don’t feel like you’ve left the right impression, briefly mention that in your thank you email message or call.
For example:
Dear Ms Smith,
Thank you for taking the time to interview me on Monday. I enjoyed speaking to you immensely, and really feel that I have the required skills to succeed in this position.
Unfortunately, I don’t feel that I was able to adequately communicate my enthusiasm for the company or the job – in hindsight, cancelling the interview may have been more appropriate, to save your time.
If at all possible, I’d love to arrange another time to speak to you again, as I really am passionate about the company and believe that I could be an asset. If not, I completely understand.
Thank you again for your time, and I look forward to your response.
Kindest Regards,
Jane Michals
(Phone Number)
(Email)
Don’t wax lyrical about the woe that made you late or why your life is hard, just briefly explain why you’d like to be able to do another interview, and why you could be the best person for the job.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you’re polite and respectful – never forget that regardless of how well or how badly you answer common interview questions or enter the room for the job interview, you have to be liked to get that new job.