Be Warned!! 4 Mistakes That Make You Look Unprofessional In An Interview

By Lilian Wamaitha

By now, you already know the dos and don’t of an interview, like how you are not supposed to bring food with you to the interview and not arriving late. You have a clear understanding of how important keeping eye contact is.

You also know how easy it is to be disqualified for using unprofessional email addresses. What you didn’t know is that there are other silent factors that can kill your interview in an instant. I spoke to Ms. Melody Mwendwa, a Professional Interview Coach at Corporate Staffing Services about the things that would make you look unprofessional in an interview and she had this to say;

Mistake that make you look unprofessional during an interview

1. You are desperate and you show it

Ever heard the popular saying that anyone can smell desperation from a mile away? This is the same case when it comes to interviews. “It is a total turn off to see a candidate who is desperate and is willing to do anything or take anything to land a job.” Says Ms. Mwendwa.

es, we are living in difficult times, but that doesn’t mean that you settle for whatever offer is put on the table. You are in an interview room and the hiring manger asks you when you are available to start and you say that you can start that moment if given the opportunity. This is red flag. It makes the interviewer wonder whether you having other aspects of life other than job hunting.

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Avoid being a yes job seeker, she says. Think about yourself first and what you want. Is the position fit for you- will it allow you to explore you potential? Is the salary they are offering something you can live by?

It doesn’t matter if this job is a do or die situation for you. Don’t settle! Most people who are in dead end jobs are in that situation because they settled that very day of the interview.

2. You didn’t do enough research

You have probably heard about the importance of researching a company before the interview.You have done a bit of research and have a firm grasp of what the company is about and a little bit of its history.

Mrs. Mwendwa however warns jobseekers that this isn’t enough. You need to do more of your homework. Let the interviewer see that you understand their company and are looking forward to joining them.

Go ahead and show them how from what you have researched you feel you will be a great contribution to the company. Let them know how you are planning to grow their company and you will leave them wishing they had met you earlier.

3. Your social media is a mess

Social media, you ask? Who would have thought that this can actually kill your interview? Before attending an interview, make sure you have cleaned your social media the closets. Some employers’ background check involves going through the social media accounts of the candidate. This is to gain a better understanding of who the person is outside the professional scope.

Ms. Mwendwa says that it is necessary for you to be cautious of what you put up on social media.

4. You pretend to be someone you are not

Ms. Mwendwa advices job seekers to always strive to show the interviewer who they really are. She says that most job seekers she meets are so desperate to impress the hiring manager that they forget who they are.

You are not Otieno half a day and Kamau the other half. You are the same person come the end of each day. So don’t try to hide who you really are. Instead show it with pride. Don’t just discuss the professional you, bring in other aspects of your life that makes you unique.

Landing your dream job will take more than being conversant with interview questions that HR managers always ask and arriving at the interview an hour early. While all these thing matter though, it is necessary to be aware of the things that could actually make you look unprofessional in an interview.

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