When it comes to a job interview, the first few minutes may be the most crucial. A new survey from CareerBuilder finds that nearly half (48 percent) of employers know within the first five minutes of an interview whether a candidate is a good or bad fit for the position, and 87 percent know within the first 15 minutes.
Common Mistakes
The top most detrimental blunders candidates make in interviews are often the most common, according to employers:
Appearing disinterested 55 percent
- Dressing inappropriately 53 percent
- Appearing arrogant 53 percent
- Talking negatively about current or previous employers 50 percent
- Answering a cell phone or texting during the interview 49 percent
- Appearing uninformed about the company or role 39 percent
- Not providing specific examples 33 percent
- Providing too much personal information 20 percent
- Asking the hiring manager personal questions 17 percent
Communication involves much more than simply words, and forgetting that during an interview could harm your chances. Employers weighed in on the worst body language mistakes candidates make in job interviews:
- Failure to make eye contact 70 percent
- Failure to smile 44 percent
- Bad posture 35 percent
- Fidgeting too much in one¹s seat 35 percent
- Playing with something on the table 29 percent
- Handshake that is too weak 27 percent
- Crossing their arms over one¹s chest 24 percent
- Playing with hair or touching one¹s face 24 percent
- Using too many hand gestures 10 percent
- Handshake that is too strong 5 percent
"Employers want to see confidence and genuine interest in the position. The interview is not only an opportunity to showcase your skills, but also to demonstrate that you¹re the type of person people will want to work with," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. Going over common interview questions, researching the company, and practicing with a friend or family member can help you feel more prepared, give you a boost in confidence, and help calm your nerves.
Survey Methodology
The national survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive© from November 6 to December 2, 2013, and included a representative sample of 2,201 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes. With a pure probability sample of 2,201, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2.09 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.