Why some consistently fail job interviews

Many people think they have little luck when they fail job interviews. But you may be a victim of your own making. Passing an interview is just the display of the best of you before the panel. However, many interviewees do not know that and they attribute their failure to favoritism, nepotism and corruption by the interviewing team among other reasons. I will share with you some of the probable reasons why you have consistently failed job interviews. The reasons that are discussed here may not necessarily be blamed to your continued failure at job interviews, but they may be part of the reasons or they should be avoided by all going for a job interview even when they have had a record of passing many interviews. Negative talk of your last boss Gossip about the people we do not like is a common practice among our society however, it is a bad practice. One should not have time to spend talking about people who do not matter to them for a person you do not like does not or should not matter to you. You should therefore have no time to talk about them. You will hear others say their last boss was an ‘idiot’ to express how bad their leader was and justify the reason for their loss of the job or wish to change work places. We all know that even a thief who is caught red-handed will take time to admit they were stealing when they were caught. It can best be understood in Kinyarwanda; when you meet a friend being handcuffed with charges of theft, and you ask them what the matter is, they will respond, “ngo mawe nibye!” literally meaning that they are falsely accused of theft. “Do not gossip or speak badly about anyone you have worked with even if they are currently serving time in state prison for what they did” says Gayl Murphy author of Interview tactics. Even when the interviewer tries to push you into it! Remember it’s a test. Be grateful and polite. You could be talking about his best friend, brother in-law or sister-in law. One word answers It is common for some people to want to be as brief as they can on an interview without the consideration that an interview is a test like any other. Remember this is the opportunity they have given you to show the best out of you and the best out of you cannot be revealed from your looks or your short answers like yes, no, yah, etc. Such short answers should be avoided as much as possible unless you are asked direct questions that need such answers like you are female? The answer is yes if you are female. They have not limited you on time; do not limit yourself in words when you have what to say. Say all that is relevant to the question asked and try to demonstrate where possible. Do not give the interviewer the room to ask probing questions in order to get you say more. Talk of religion and politicsSome interviewees are so obsessed with their beliefs and they want to indoctrinate others they meet no matter where they meet them. By doing this you are showing what you are unnecessarily. Limit your political and religious talk as much as possible even when the interviewers drive you into it, try to limit it. They may be pushing to see where you belong and if you do not belong with them, then the job is not for you. Unless you are going for a job as a pastor, or a politician that is when you may talk less or more about religion or politics accordingly. Telling lies about skills and experience Human kind world over never want to admit their inadequacies even when it does them no harm. We always want to be regarded as superiors, perfectionists, and experts and this is a bad practice. The “I know it all attitude” is not good when you actually do not know even a half of it. Fess up and tell the interviewer how willing and able you are to learn new things. If you claim to be something you are not, chances are you be found out sooner or later may be not during the interview process but after you have been given the offer and you are asked to do something in Microsoft access (for example) and you begin to fidget before your boss. It will make you feel small before everyone including yourself. It is always good to admit what we are for it will one day be revealed. Even the interviewer does not know everything and he does not expect you to claim to know even what you do not know. Be sincere to yourself as well as the interviewer. Early familiarity No matter how well you get along with your interviewer, your interviewer is not your friend. Even if you find out you are both getting married on the same day or you are both obsessed with Liverpool play outs with AC Milan when Liverpool last put up a good show in the EUFA Champions League. The relationship is still a professional one, resist the urge to spill too many personal or off topic details or to start calling your interviewer ‘buddy’, ‘man’, ‘guy’, etc. Keep the professional distance. They say familiarity breeds contempt. Laughing till tears run down your cheekRwandans, the British as well as Americans can crack jokes. The three cultures are actually endowed with a good sense of humuor and they will surely want to crack a joke to set the interview mood and make you feel at ease to pass that interview. Its fine to laugh at a joke made by the interviewer and during the interview. Just do not die laughing. You will not look professional with crackle induced tear eyes, teeth and gums blazing. Late comingThe interview is set for 8:00 am and you begin to prepare to leave for the interview venue thirty minutes to the time. You are not that faster in getting ready, bathing, ironing to appear smart, polishing the dusty shoes, combing the hair for ladies and some gentlemen, and getting to the tax park to take the ‘nearly filled up’ matatu that will take you in the remaining six minutes in a distance of over six kilometers. It’s impossible to get there in time not even on time. You will thus jump off the matatu and take “boda boda” cyclist to speed you off to the venue. Over speeding leads to accidents! And by the time you get to the interview room, you are panting and sniffing like a dog on the run when others have been there for about twenty minutes and well seated and comfortable with their seating positions. They may have begun writing the written test a few minutes back, chances are that you will be wriggling and your mind hovering over nothing before they say time out. Prepare yourself well in time to get at the interview venue minutes before the start time. A combination of the above and other factors not discussed here all lead to success on interview. intarepaul@yahoo.com