Common job interview mistakes, find out which one is the biggest

A job interview starts not when you are seated in front of your interviewer but when you walk in the door. Hiring expert and CEO of executive search firm Vanderbloemen Search Group, William Vanderbloemen said that the biggest mistake a candidate can ever make is to be late for the interview, even by a few minutes.

“It always amazes me how many people arrive even two minutes late for an interview with a fresh cup of coffee in their hand,” says Vanderbloemen.

He adds that while hiring managers are not heartless and do understand last-minute emergencies and bad traffic and even technical difficulties, showing up late with no notice is a huge red flag for many.

Some of the job interview mistakes

Vanderbloemen obviously knows what he is talking about having interviewed 30,000 people in his career. He says that punctuality is the first test of whether or not you’re taking this job seriously and can be trusted with the responsibilities of the role.

“When you set a meeting with someone, you’re making an agreement, and when you choose to break that agreement, it’s going to make people start to question your integrity and dependability.”

Conversely he says that arriving super early for a job interview isn’t great either. This is because the interviewer may be in the middle of another meeting or taking a break between interviews or anything else for that matter. He said that knowing someone is waiting 15 to 20 minutes ahead of the interview isn’t a good thing at all and can make the interviewer feel stressed.

Ideally the best time to show up for an interview is five minutes before. Not too early and not too late is best. Vanderbloemen says that job interviews are already stressful and acing it is easier when you show up prepared. What does being prepared mean? Part of being prepares is being punctual. It is the first step in proving your readiness, he says.

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