Common job interview pitfalls for recent grads
What do more than 50 seasoned college recruiters from top-level corporations and universities
say are the biggest mistakes college grads make in job interviews? That’s the question I recently
posed to recruiters from companies and schools like Google, Disney, Sony, and Stanford
University. The outcome? Their five 'biggest blunders' - which are outlined below. Are YOU
committing any of these mistakes in your job search?
1. Not paying attention to YOU on the Internet. Chances are your interviewer or future boss
will do a "Google search" on you before they decide to call you in for an interview. In fact, I
found out about 45% of recruiters now go beyond Google and search for you on social
networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. So, think twice about what you post online, even if
you think it’s protected by a password.
What does this mean for you and your online personal brand? Think twice before posting those
wild photos from last year’s spring break on your Facebook page or a picture of you passed out
on your friend’s living room couch on your blog. Veda Jeffries from Stanford University, says,
“Students feel that Facebook, etc. is their personal thing, but it’s difficult to erase negatives about
who you are when it is open to anyone and everyone.” Pay attention to what you say in your blog
or other social media, too. Negative comments about professors, internship colleagues, or dorm
mates - or using bad language - may find you out of a job. Remember: Privacy is virtually nonexistent on the Internet. As soon as you post it, your secret is out, and you may be unconsciously
hurting your personal brand faster than you can click your mouse.
2. Believing a company’s “greeter” at a career fair is a peer or a confidante. Recruiters made
it clear: The job of a company’s greeter at a career fair is to check you out just as much as an
interviewer. Even if a greeter seems casual and talks to you like you were a friend, his or her job
is to report back to the company whether to call you in for an interview or not. So, keep in mind
that the greeter’s opinion counts! Also, make sure that you don’t say one thing to the greeter and
something different to your interviewer. You’ll get caught, and that could lead you to being
branded as inconsistent — or worse, dishonest. Keep it professional when interacting with every
company rep.
3. Thinking the interview only begins when you’re across the desk from the interviewer.
HR professionals repeatedly told me: From the moment you walk into the location where you’ll
be interviewed, you are “on.” That means no talking on your cell phone, listening to your MP3
player, or texting in the lobby while waiting for the interviewer. It means remembering that how
you treat the receptionist may be shared with your potential boss later on.
And, it also means remembering that the time you spend following the interviewer from the
reception area to the interview room is also part of your interview. I found out that some
recruiters are purposely quiet during that time just to see how you respond to the silence and to
see if you’re outgoing and personable enough to talk. So, be sure to start some conversation
during that time; a little small talk will go a long way to communicating a strong personal brand.
4. Not asking for clarification when you don’t understand a question. One of our worst
fears is to look “stupid,” right? But it will look even more stupid if you fumble around and
answer the wrong question! In fact, recruiters told me they think it’s stupid not to ask question.
Maggie Yontz of ConAgra Foods says, “Nine times out of ten, when a candidate asks for
clarification on a question I’ve asked, I figure that I have not communicated clearly, not that the
student can’t comprehend what I’m asking. I appreciate a candidate who’s confident and direct
enough to ask for clarification on a question that he or she doesn’t understand.” So, most
interviewers actually prefer you to ask for clarity. It lets them know you want to make sure you
give a good answer. Now, who in their right mind would consider that stupid?
5. Not being prepared with good, thoughtful questions to ask at the end of the interview.
Recruiters told me you should expect to be asked, “Do you have any questions?” How good
your questions are will show not only that you did your research on the company and the
position, but that you really gave some thought to how you could fit in at the company. It will
also show that you’re listening to the interviewer.
Nora Bammann, Assistant Human Resources Manager of The Kroger Company, says: “Always
have questions ready. The questions interviewees ask really tell me (a) how the interviewee
processes the information they heard, and (b) if the interviewee was not only listening but if they
understood what they heard.” So, be ready with some questions in advance, but also feel free to
ask questions in-the-moment based on what you’re told by the interviewer.
Of course, keep your questions relevant. Gillian Taitz, Senior Recruiter-College Relations for
Staples, said, “When candidates ask me things that really just prove they are trying to sound
intelligent and have done their online research, it really turns me off. I’d much rather we spend
time talking about what is important to this candidate in terms of culture, management style,
etc.” So, how did you do? Have you committed any of these mistakes? As John Luther Long,
author of the short story “Madame Butterfly,” said, “Learn from the mistakes of others – you can
never live long enough to make them all yourself.” By being aware of the biggest blunders other
college grads have made, you can avoid committing them yourself. That’s how you sail through
interviews and land a great job that you’ll really love -- right out of college.
The job interview is an unusual situation: You're put in a room you've never been in, with a person you've
never met, to talk about a company you don't work at, in order to persuade somebody that you'll be
excellent at a job you don't have.
No wonder it feels awkward, artificial and anxious.
But a lot of the "mystery" around great job interviewing comes from the fact that we don't do it that often.
Every few years, we're supposed to magically dust off our interview skills and go out there and shine.
Well, I talk to a lot of job-seekers, hiring managers, and recruiters, and the "secrets" behind great
interviews aren't really that mysterious after all.
So here's what you need to know for making your job interviews a lot less nerve-wracking and a lot more
effective.
Pick three points and stick to them.
Ever watched the politicians on TV? When the host asks them a real zinger of a question, you'll notice
they rarely get flustered. Instead, they reply right off the top of their heads with an answer that seems to
be completely coherent and well-crafted.
No matter what the question is, and no matter how impertinently put, the politician has an answer and
doesn't get distracted by the host's badgering. I can't say whether that's good for us voters, but I can tell
you it's deadly effective for giving a great interview.
It's called "staying on message" and the politicians don't do it by accident.
Before they go on TV, they write down (or have written down for them) "talking points" that make the key
arguments they want to make. And whatever else happens, they make sure to get their talking points
across.
So in order to ace your interviews, you'll want to have your own talking points.
And here's the truly amazing thing — you don't even need to come up with them on your own. Unlike the
fickle electorate, your target audience will tell you exactly what you need to say! All you have to do is ask
them.
When you are setting up the interview, ask the recruiter or HR person: What are the three key things
you're looking for in this position? And why are they important to the company? (If you're not able to get
this question in beforehand, you can still ask it right at the start of the interview.)
They might say this position is for a new initiative, or this role is critical for the implementation of the
strategy, or the boss needs an expert to help assist them in this area.
Whatever the three key needs for the role are, write down beforehand how you can accomplish those
needs. Don't over-practice, just make sure that you know their three needs by heart, and you've got a
reasonable argument for why you can help them.
Then during the interview, if conversation gets steered away to upcoming spring training or the snow this
winter, or Tiger's apology on Friday, you just make sure that you steer it back to how you can contribute
on the three key needs.
Stay on message and when you walk out, your message with stay behind with your future boss.
It's not about you
If you think about the interview from your future boss' point of view, the interview is not about you. It's
about how well you fit into his or her needs. If you stick to your talking points above, you'll avoid one of
the most common errors people make in job interviews: talking about themselves without a real purpose.
Yes, you need to discuss your career goals, but only in the context of how they match up with what your
boss is looking for.
And, yes, you need to discuss your prior performance and successes, but only to the extent that it
supports how you match the three key needs the company has for the open position.
A job interview is a sales call — it's about selling you and your experiences and skills and talent for the
role.
It's not an A&E Biography about Gwen, it's a discussion about the company, their needs, the role, and
how well you do, or don't, fit into the plans.
And it is most especially not a chance for you to get distracted on extraneous topics that may be very
important to you, but have absolutely nothing to do with how well you can do the job. Because these
topics are very important to you and you've been thinking about them a lot, you'll need to make an extraspecial effort to avoid dwelling on them in the interview:



How difficult the job search is (ok, yes it is, how is talking about this going to help you shorten
your job search?)
What your perfect career would be (we're not here to talk about your perfect career, we're here to
talk about this job and who we should hire for it)
The wrong decisions made by your previous boss / company / colleagues (how is this helping you
get your next job? It's not. Avoid.)
If I can be slightly tongue-in-cheek, the rule for job interviews is: "He who talks the least, wins." If you can
get your interviewer talking about their needs, their hopes, and their viewpoints, you'll be collecting a lot
more information about what it takes to get the job. Making your key points can take as little as 10
minutes if you're strictly on message. Use the rest of your time to find out what else you need to know to
make your case.
Have good questions
Even though I'm usually the final person to meet a candidate here at TheLadders, I'm always surprised
when people I'm interviewing say they don't have any questions for me. Sure, you've already met four of
my colleagues and they've answered a lot of the open questions you had about TheLadders, but, really?
You have absolutely no good questions for me?
And that's because asking questions is only 50% about addressing your needs, explaining the role to you,
and satisfying your curiosity. The other 50% of asking questions is showing your capability to think
critically about the company, the industry, and the role. Use that time to show off your good noodle by
asking (brief) insightful questions.
And because I like you, here are ten questions that are good for almost any interview, plus a bonus
question that will really make you stand out:
1. What's the biggest change your group has gone through in the last year?
2. One year from now, if I get the job, what will earn me a "gold star"? What are the key
accomplishments you'd like to see in this role over the next year?
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What's your (or my future boss') leadership style?
About which competitor are you most worried?
How do your sales / marketing / technology / operations work here?
What type of people are successful here? What type of people are not?
What's one thing that's key to your success that somebody from outside the company wouldn't
know about?
8. How did you get your start in this industry? Why do you stay?
9. What are your best and worst working relationships with other groups in the company?
10. What keeps you up at night? What's your biggest worry?
And here's the bonus, my favorite, and the best way to really demonstrate how much value you're going
to add to your boss' career:
How do you (Mr. or Ms. Future Boss) get a gold star / big bonus / your boss' recognition & thanks at the
end of the year? How can I best help you do that?
Why is this question so good? It shows you're thinking about others, not just yourself. It shows that you
want to be helpful and help the boss and the team achieve. And it gets your future boss thinking about
how beneficial it is going to be to have somebody like you on the team helping them achieve their goals.
OK, Readers, that's how you ace the interview. Good luck!
INTERVIEWING HINTS
SCHEDULING
 Have the name and phone number of person scheduling the interview and the company
name; day/date/time.
 Know person/people you'll be interviewing with and their titles or positions.
 Know the title of the position for which you'll be interviewing.
RESEARCH:
 Research the company, the industry, and the job.
 Gather information about the culture of the company.
 Check with your network for insights into the company.
PRACTICE FOR THE INTERVIEW:
 Practice your self-statement.
 Practice talking about your accomplishments.
 Practice sample interview questions.
ENROUTE
 Always know the address and specific directions to get to the interview location (check it out
ahead of time, make sure you factor in traffic)
 Visualize and practice your entrance and exit.
 Be organized - carry a portfolio with your business card, pen, paper, copies of resume.
 Be 10-15 minutes early. If you are running late, call in.
 Wear appropriate attire – error on the side of being more conservative.
WAITING ROOM
 Be polite, do not show annoyance if delayed.
 Remember to treat all employees at the company as if they have some involvement in the
hiring decision.
 If there is time review your presentation, company literature.
 Freshen up in the restroom.
 Don't pace up and down and wring your hands. Try to relax.
 Don't make phone calls unless absolutely necessary. Turn your cell phone and beeper off.
 Do not smoke, eat, or chew gum.
DURING THE INTERVIEW
 First impression – firm handshake, be enthusiastic, greet the interviewer by name.
 Do not sit down until invited to do so.
 Maintain your poise, confidence and interest and enthusiasm throughout the interview.
 Maintain "reasonable" eye contact.
 Smile when appropriate. Be natural and sincere.
 Listen. Be patient. Don't interrupt.
 Take cues from interviewer’s movements and speech.
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THE DISCUSSION
 Be prepared with your self-statement.
 Be prepared with your accomplishments.
 Do not be a namedropper for the sake of an "impression.”
 Never be negative about a former employer or employee.
 Do not discuss personal problems, politics or religion.
 Try to find out the interviewer priorities.
 Keep replies short and answer the questions.
 Do not bring up salary.
CLOSING THE INTERVIEW
 Ask pertinent questions.
 Restate your qualifications for the position.
 Clarify any open items.
 Ask when you can expect to hear from them.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
 Send a Thank You note (within 24 hours).
 A few days later, may want to call and restate your interest.
 Keep your network informed.
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