Job interviews are an integral part to securing a job and an important first step to securing your dream job.
In our experience, there are five key mistakes business support professionals commonly make in job interviews. If you prepare to avoid these mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to interview success.
1. Research the organisation prior to the interview
While it seems like a basic step to undertake when job hunting, thoroughly preparing, researching and performing due diligence on a potentially future employer is critical. It is vitally important for candidates to be able to talk confidently and intelligently about what their potential employer does. You should be able to speak confidently about the organisation, including:
- Their history, financial position, mission and products/services
- The market in which they operate
- Their main competitors
2. Provide detailed reasons on why you are applying
The interview is a great chance to illustrate why you are interested in a particular company or the open position. Many employers are interested to know why you would rather work for them than one of their competitors. You may prefer multinational firms, for instance, because of the increased opportunities to use English for interpreting or translating documentation.
So, in order to avoid seeming as though you are looking for any role in their industry as opposed to that particular job, provide detailed reasons for wanting to join their organisation rather than generalities. Be enthusiastic and talk specifically about what aspects of the role or organisation appeal to you, such as the organisation’s reputation or the key responsibilities of the role.
3. Familiarise with the details on your CV
Candidates can be guilty of not knowing their CV in detail and being ill-equipped to answer questions on the information they have supplied. Don’t assume that just because the information is in your CV, interviewers won’t ask questions about your background, including your responsibilities in previous roles and educational results.
There are five key mistakes business support professionals commonly make in job interviews. If you prepare to avoid these mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to interview success.
Remember to review your CV before your interview and practice how you will respond to any potential questions on the details you’ve provided. Don’t forget to describe how your accomplishments relate to the role you are applying for and offer examples from your experience that may be relevant to the interview questions. Many firms are increasingly conducting business overseas in Asia. So, if you have multi-language skills, such as Chinese or Thai in addition to English, the interview is the time to highlight your ability.
4. Present yourself professionally at all times
This is a behaviour commonly displayed by job-seekers. We see that many fall into the trap of being too familiar with their interviewers, which is inappropriate in a job interview. While it’s important for you to be charismatic and demonstrate your interpersonal skills, you must always conduct yourself with professionalism, even if you feel you have a good rapport with the interviewer.
5. Speak positively about previous experiences
We’ve seen many candidates ruin their job prospects by making negative comments about their current or previous employers and experiences. You should never talk negatively about a previous (or current) company, manager or role. Try to find the positive aspects of your employment history and focus on those instead.
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