3 things to avoid doing during an interview

Finishing up your education and jumping into the working world is an exciting prospect for many people, especially after years of studying and examinations. However, finding a right job isn’t always as easy as one may think. Searching for the right role in a company that inspires you is a time-consuming and highly competitive process.

Once you get past the CV checks and secure an interview, the last thing you want to do is mess up the interview and let someone else take your dream job away!

So, what are the top things to avoid in a job interview? Monster.com in Malaysia has studied the experiences of fresh graduates and identified the top three mistakes are talking about salary, not asking questions during the interview and not researching the company beforehand.

Asking about salary

Don’t get us wrong, salary is a highly important aspect, but asking about salary when you first meet someone at the company is a big red flag. It signals that you are only interested in the money, not the job, and therefore someone who will immediately jump ship if more pay can be found elsewhere. Hiring and training someone is a very expensive process, so companies will avoid people who they feel might jump ship.

Do your research before, find out what the role you are looking at typically pays in the industry. Advertised roles will often have a salary bracket included - but don’t automatically think you can get the high end of the salary bracket. It is usually reserved for people who already have an outstanding experience, an academic background or can showcase extra curricular activity.

Not asking questions

An interview is a great time for the company to find out more about you, but more importantly, a great opportunity for you to find out about the company. There are many aspects to look at: what is the culture like, additional job information, and finding out how your potential boss works. A failure to ask any questions during an interview will come off badly as you will look like someone who is disengaged and not interested in the job.

Failure to research

If you’re busy finishing up final things for university, or are lucky enough to have multiple interviews lined up, it may be difficult to put together proper research about the company and the job you are interviewing for. However, it is dangerous to underestimate the importance of this - a reference to a key person of the company (like the founder) or highlighting a major recent announcement could put you in a position that makes you look totally unprepared and too lazy to do the most basic of Google searches.

For those going into their first interviews, have watch of this video, which shows what employers are looking for in the hiring process. Monster Malaysia has launched a campaign to provide insights into improving the hiring process.

Watch to find out what these CEO’s want to hear during an interview.