Making mistakes in a job interview can happen. Even if you spend hours preparing and reading everything you can about the company, rehearsing answers, you never know what could happen when you sit down across from an interviewer or sales recruiter.
It’s not uncommon for people to make a mistake or two during the interview. Perhaps you were asked a question that caught you off guard or you were not prepared to answer. Maybe you were not feeling your best or were stressed and anxious. It happens.
It’s how you recover from a job interview mistake that is most important. We’ve put together a list of some of the worst job interview mistakes that you can still, luckily, fix:
People go blank from time to time. But nobody wants it to happen when they are asked a question during a job interview. Believe it or not, interviewers have this occur frequently. Even interviewers can go blank from time to time. If you can’t think of a response to an interview question, ask the interviewer to clarify or repeat the question. This will give you time to gather your thoughts.
Even though you may have rehearsed a response to a question, you may blurt out a response that sounds cliché. If this happens to you, recover by adding context to the answer.
This is a major no-no. Always make sure your phone is turned off or on silent before the interview starts. But if it does happen to you, hit the silent button as quickly as possible and apologize for the inconvenience. Pick up where you left off and keep moving forward with the interview.
Showing up for a job interview dressed too casually can happen. Even though you may not look like you fit the company culture, make sure your interview performance proves otherwise. Correct the issue when you get a call back for a second interview.
Making a lasting impression is the best way to close out a job interview. You want to be memorable. But if you feel like you didn’t make the best closing statement, make sure to reiterate how much you want the job and why you are the best candidate in your follow-up thank you email.
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SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit salespeople in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right salesperson for your organization, start your search here.
Claire has 4+ years of experience in sales and recruitment. As a Director of Client Services, her main objective is to connect great people to great companies by building strong relationships with both top clients and candidates in the sales industry. She specializes in sales roles of all seniority levels for both enterprise and start-up clients North American wide. When Claire isn't networking with top talent, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and spending time with friends & family.