I recently heard a story about a complete failure of a job interview. The person had strong experience and a passion for the industry, but once in the door for an interview, it all went down hill. After requesting a tour of the office during the interview, this person made attempts to speak with senior executives at the company, and then walked right in to the CEO’s office to introduce himself. Very bold and very unprofessional. I couldn’t believe someone would think that this was okay!
More often than not
It was not until I was reading this article today about “Big Blunders Job Hunters Make” did I realize how often this type of activity occurs. I was appalled at the lack of judgment that these job candidates apparently had. Stories of eating during an interview, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, sending gifts to hiring managers, and bringing their parents on interviews shocked and awed me as I read.
I was once told that everyone at the company I was interviewing for wore t-shirts and jeans, and that I should not wear my suit next time. Would I have gotten the job if I had worn shorts and a t-shirt to my second interview? Probably. Did I wear shorts and a t-shirt to a job interview? Absolutely not!
I know this is a lot of storytelling, but it’s very purposeful. Think to yourself about your past interview experiences. Does something you did seem like it would find its way in to this article? My advice to everyone is this — practice your interview from inception to acceptance/rejection with at least one other person. If you have a career mentor or career services that you can leverage for help, do it. All of these people must have thought that their behavior was acceptable.
