Job Interview Weaknesses-Correct them

Author: John Williams

Several job interviews later, are you still waiting on that 'You got the job' call? It may be time to explore some of your job interview weaknesses. Self-awareness is a great quality, so explore yourself objectively to realize some areas you in which you can improve. Listed below are some common job interview weaknesses and some tips on how to correct your performance in these areas.

1. Fumbling Over Your Answers
We have all been there. You go into an interview confident and ready to make a great impression, only to have your confidence shot after fumbling through an answer to a question you were not prepared for. This is going to happen from time to time. However, you can minimize these occurrences by preparing ahead of time your answers to most of the common interview questions. This handy guide of interview questions and answers lists many of the most popular interview questions and appropriate ways to answer them. Take this guide and dive into it in the days leading up to the interview. This is the single best way to overcome one of the biggest job interview weaknesses and to separate yourself from the competition. Read it, read it, and then read it again. You will be amazed at how much more confident you will be in your next interview after studying the questions and preparing answers ahead of time.

2. Not Dressing the Part
This one is so easy, yet so many applicants go into an interview dressed more casually than they should be. This oversight starts the entire interview off on a bad foot. Thankfully, this job interview weakness is the easiest to overcome. Try to dress as nice, or nicer, than you believe the person interviewing you will be dressed. Are you interviewing with the CEO of a large company? You will at least need to wear a suit a tie. Are you meeting with a construction supervisor? You will at least need to wear a tie, as many supervisors do. It is better to over-dress than to under-dress. This rule is so important, it bears repeating. It is better to over-dress than to under-dress!

3. Not Knowing the Company
Managers, owners, and CEO\'s are often like proud parents. Many have lived and breathed their company, department, or products for several years. Whether fair or not, hirers want any potential job applicant to be as passionate about their job as they are. At the very least, it is vitally important to have good knowledge of the industry and the specific company you are interviewing with. Pay close attention to the job listing. You may not always fit every single requirement the hirer is looking for, but at least be knowledgeable of the all the subjects within the job listing. For example, if a company is looking to hire someone who has experience in Computer Program XYZ, you should at least know a few talking points about the software. Also, learn every single thing you can about the company\'s products, services, etc. Know them well and you will eliminate one of the largest job interview weaknesses.
Overcoming just these three job interview weaknesses will put you head and shoulders above your fellow applicants.
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