Ever Screwed Up A Job Interview? 3 Common Mistakes & How To Put Them Right!

If you’ve recently been interviewed and later found yourself, head miserably in hands on the train journey home, the chances are it didn’t go too well. And we think we know why. Of course, everyone’s made a mistake in an interview. Perhaps you’ve said the wrong thing, or maybe you didn’t say the one thing that definitely would’ve guaranteed you a place firmly in the mind of your prospective employer?

But, similarly to taking your driving test, it’s really all about how you make up for that minor mistake. We know nerves can so often get in the way of you and your dream job, which is why we’ve put together a handy three-point guide to getting it right the next time you have an interview!

If you could start the interview from scratch, what would you do better? First things first, don’t panic if you have fluffed up; the chances are it’s not half as bad as you think.

Here are three common mistakes that happen in any restaurant interview whether you’re hoping to manage a group of Nandocas, make Tuna & Avruga Sashimi or brew a Guatemala Antigua coffee. Hopefully these tips will help make sure you can put it right next time…

1 – Don’t Always Be Tempted to Fill an Awkward Silence So, the interviewer has thrown out a difficult question and you’ve been caught off guard. In this instance, most people will be tempted to blurt out any old answer to fill an awkward silence. The trick here is simply not to be too hasty. Generally, interviewees feel so nervous they attempt to ‘rush’ through the questions in a bid to leave the room (and a grilling) as soon as possible, later kicking themselves because they just haven’t done themselves justice.

How to Fix It: If you’ve blurted something out that you don’t think has done you any favours, politely explain you’re a little nervous and ask if you can take a minute to consider the question a little longer. Failing that, ask this question upfront and don’t be tempted to fill in any silences.

2 – Don’t Forget Your Research You’ve spent days, weeks even, planning your perfect response to that age-old ‘What are your weaknesses’ question. As a result, you know yourself and your role as well as you’ll ever do, but have you researched the company? Once you’re in the interview, there’s really nothing you can do if you’ve failed to prepare. Should your prospective boss ask what you know about the company, the chances are you’ll know just enough to get you through. Still not convinced you’ve said enough? Blame it on nerves, and if, following the interview, you feel you haven’t expressed your excitement at the prospect of working for the company in question, here’s what to do.

How to Fix It: There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sending a follow up email to the interviewer following your meeting. In the note, explain (briefly) just how much of an asset you believe you’ll be to their company and how lovely it was to meet them. Keep the email short and sweet and don’t be too gushy. Then wait.

3 – Don’t Overshare Perhaps your interview has gone as well as you hoped? Maybe you took to Twitter to declare just how well it’d gone, and then immediately regretted the decision. The worst thing you can do is boast about something like this on a forum available for anyone to view. After all, guess who may stumble upon it? That’s right, your potential new boss. Here’s what you can do:

How to Fix It: If you’ve found yourself in this situation, all you can do is hope no one of importance has seen your tweet/status. Log onto Twitter or Facebook immediately, deleting the offending remark and crossing your fingers in the process. Now might also be the time to send a nice follow up email to the employer (see above), without making reference to the tweet you posted, to ensure that if he or she has seen your status update they may overlook it – good luck!