The Top 7 Mistakes Candidates Make - Part 1
Here is a transcript regarding job interviews by two professionals in their field. Peter Dallimore, General Manager of Careerzone and John Nevill, Managing Director of Numero NZ Ltd.
Peter: Hi John, thanks for the time to be on this call to discuss the top seven mistakes candidates make. Perhaps you can kick it off with the first mistake you see.
John: Sure, the first one I see is negativity about employers. It is not just necessarily during an interview, but during the interview process. Issues include being late and being negative about current employers or past, for that matter. Some candidates can be overly negative, in other words, blame other people for situations that may be, at least in part, their own doing. Other "mistakes" include typos on CVs and being dressed inappropriately.
Peter: Thanks, could you elaborate on your last point of dress code? What sort of standard is deemed appropriate?
John: It depends on the job. Say, for instance, you were going for an assistant-accountant job. You would probably have a suit and tie if you are a guy. However, we are not looking specifically at office jobs, are we? You need to be dressed appropriately for the role, but generally, smart/casual or business attire would be the norm. I know that people who go for temporary jobs in the construction industry just turn up in their work boots. However that's not really our audience. I would have said smart/casual is the starting point and most office based or corporate roles would warrant business attire.
Peter: Would you say it's best to overdress a little bit?
John: Definitely. Other issues also include bodily hygeine such as cigarette smoke. If you do smoke, make sure you get rid of the smoky smell. Again, the issue of other people can arise, especially if this theme continues during the interview. There are people who seem to have excuses for everything. They left because they disliked their former employer or the company failed because of everyone else. It's really all about being honest and people are generally happy to hear good honest answers.
Peter: Yes, but thats because there are mistakes made. People leave roles because they got it wrong, that does happen from time to time doesn't it?
John: Yes, you have to be cautious about it, you don't just take accountability for successes. People say things like 'I was working for that company and I increased sales by 300%' Or 'I was working for that company and I restructured the whole engineering department.' You can say that you were part of the team, but don't think that the interviewer will believe you if you take sole responsibility for all the good that's happened in your career.
Peter: Most interviewers would understand that it's generally a team effort won't they?
John: Definitely, especially in a recruitment company, you hear these kinds of things all the time. A lack of research is also a common issue that people make; going into the interview knowing little or nothing about the role, the company or the people. If you are going to go for an interview, invest some time into these areas.
Peter: Hi John, thanks for the time to be on this call to discuss the top seven mistakes candidates make. Perhaps you can kick it off with the first mistake you see.
John: Sure, the first one I see is negativity about employers. It is not just necessarily during an interview, but during the interview process. Issues include being late and being negative about current employers or past, for that matter. Some candidates can be overly negative, in other words, blame other people for situations that may be, at least in part, their own doing. Other "mistakes" include typos on CVs and being dressed inappropriately.
Peter: Thanks, could you elaborate on your last point of dress code? What sort of standard is deemed appropriate?
John: It depends on the job. Say, for instance, you were going for an assistant-accountant job. You would probably have a suit and tie if you are a guy. However, we are not looking specifically at office jobs, are we? You need to be dressed appropriately for the role, but generally, smart/casual or business attire would be the norm. I know that people who go for temporary jobs in the construction industry just turn up in their work boots. However that's not really our audience. I would have said smart/casual is the starting point and most office based or corporate roles would warrant business attire.
Peter: Would you say it's best to overdress a little bit?
John: Definitely. Other issues also include bodily hygeine such as cigarette smoke. If you do smoke, make sure you get rid of the smoky smell. Again, the issue of other people can arise, especially if this theme continues during the interview. There are people who seem to have excuses for everything. They left because they disliked their former employer or the company failed because of everyone else. It's really all about being honest and people are generally happy to hear good honest answers.
Peter: Yes, but thats because there are mistakes made. People leave roles because they got it wrong, that does happen from time to time doesn't it?
John: Yes, you have to be cautious about it, you don't just take accountability for successes. People say things like 'I was working for that company and I increased sales by 300%' Or 'I was working for that company and I restructured the whole engineering department.' You can say that you were part of the team, but don't think that the interviewer will believe you if you take sole responsibility for all the good that's happened in your career.
Peter: Most interviewers would understand that it's generally a team effort won't they?
John: Definitely, especially in a recruitment company, you hear these kinds of things all the time. A lack of research is also a common issue that people make; going into the interview knowing little or nothing about the role, the company or the people. If you are going to go for an interview, invest some time into these areas.