Most common job interview mistakes by students

1. Insufficient knowledge of key job details

“It will be very obvious to the interviewer if you don’t understand the job well enough. Well before your interview, make sure to talk to someone with direct experience in that job.”

2. No personal narrative

“The interviewer needs to be convinced that you’ve got the right skills before they worry about whether you’re an interesting person to hang around. If you can, run your experiences by someone with relevant job experience.”

3. Talking about what the job can do for you

“Focus on what you can contribute to the company, not what you’ll get out of it. Interviewers aren’t evaluating candidates based on who wants the job the most or who would benefit from the experience.”

4. Not enough of the right details

“Provide depth on the points that reinforce the skills, analysis, and terminology that are important for the job you’re interviewing for.”

5. Generic understanding of the company

“If you say you’re interested in the company because of something that is only true of that company, for example the rapid market share gains from their new channel strategy, or because they lead the sector in transactions in the emerging growth economies, then it’s clear that you understand and have a good reason for wanting to work at that particular company.”

Check out the rest of the article Interview Mistakes Bright People Make – College Students on Gotta Mentor for more detailed explanations of each of the most common mistakes college and university students make in job interviews. Don’t miss the comments section at the bottom for even more user-submitted suggestions.