Many interview blunders can be avoided simply by taking the time to prepare. How prepared are you for your job interview?

1. Are you ready for your interview?

2. Common interview mistakes
Source: 2014 CareerBuilder
survey of 2,201 hiring
managers.
Appearing disinterested 50%
Dressing inappropriately 50%
Appearing arrogant 53%
Talking negatively about current or former employers 50%
Answering a cell phone or texting during the interview 49%
Appearing uninformed about the role 39%
Not providing specific examples 33%
Not asking good questions 32%
Providing too much personal information. 20%
Asking the hiring manager personal questions. 17%

3. Body language miscommunication
Source: 2014 CareerBuilder
survey of 2,201 hiring
managers.
Failure to make eye contact 70%
Failure to smile. 44%
Bad posture 35%
Fidgeting too much in one’s seat 35%
Playing with something on the table 29%
Handshake that is too weak 27%
Crossing one’s arms over one’s chest 24%
Playing with one’s hair or touching one’s face 24%
Using too many hand gestures 10%
Handshake that is too strong 5%

4. How prepared are you
for your interview?
Most of the blunders listed can be easily avoided simply by taking the time to prepare for the interview.

5. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test!
“To prepare for this interview, I have…
(25 POINTS) visited the company website.”
(25 POINTS) studied the company’s products/services.”
(25 POINTS) visited the company page on LinkedIn.”
(25 POINTS) checked out the LinkedIn profile of the
hiring manager who will be interviewing me.”

6. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test!
How did you score?
(25 – 50 POINTS) You have done some basic research on
the company through their website. Sites like LinkedIn can
give you more insight. If you have the name of the hiring
manager with whom you’ll be interviewing, why not take
the time to review his/her profile?
(75-100 POINTS) You have done some serious homework
– good job! The company’s LinkedIn page
GET AN EDGE! While you’re browsing through the
company page on LinkedIn, check out the profiles of
others who have been hired in roles similar to the one for
which you are interviewing. Does anything stand out?
How are their backgrounds similar or different from
yours?

7. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test! FILL IN THE BLANK:
“To prepare for this interview, I
have looked at / read ___________.”
(25 POINTS) the job description.
(25 POINTS) the company website’s “Recent
News” section.
(25 POINTS) a couple of posts from the
company’s blog.
(25 POINTS) the company’s Facebook page.

8. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test!
How did you score?
(25 - 50 POINTS) You have an idea what the
job is about, and you’ve done some clicking
around the company’s website. Many job
descriptions, however, are written from
templates and “Recent News” might not be all
that recent.
(75 - 100 POINTS) You’ve been socially active
with the company’s brand, and as Martha
Stewart would say, that’s a good thing. A
company’s blog could give you further insight
into a company’s values and employee culture,
and a company’s presence in social media sites
like Facebook could give you a feel of how
they interact with their online community.

9. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test! FILL IN THE BLANK:
I can tell you ___________.
(25 POINTS) when and why the company was
founded.
(25 POINTS) who is running the company now.
(25 POINTS) whether the company is
publicly/privately held.
(25 POINTS) who my prospective boss is, his/her
background, and how long he/she has been in this
role.

10. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test! How did you score?
It’s not just for the brownie points. Knowing as much
about the company’s story, what makes them
different, your prospective boss’s background not
only shows that you’ve done your homework, it gives
you insight on what it might be like to work there.
The more you know, the more intelligent the
questions you’ll be able to ask at the interview.

11. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test! FILL IN THE BLANK:
I can tell you ___________.
(25 POINTS) about at least one of my
accomplishments at my current/previous job that I
am proud of.
(25 POINTS) about a challenging situation I’ve
had to overcome at my current/previous position.
(50 POINTS) I can articulate the above in STAR
format.

12. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test!
How did you score?
(25-50 POINTS) Yay! You have answers
ready for the two most common interview
questions.
(100 POINTS) Awesomeness! The STAR
(Situation Task Action and Result) format is a
great way to ensure you stay on point and
cover all bases when answering the
accomplishment/ challenge question.

13. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test!
The STAR Model
The STAR Model is a framework for answering questions that start like
this: “Describe the most difficult/ interesting/ rewarding…” or Give me
an example where you…”
SITUATION Begin with a brief description of the
situation (who, what, where, when, how).
TASK Explain the task you had to complete
highlighting any specific challenges or constraint
(deadlines, cost, other issues).
ACTION Describe the specific actions you took to
complete the task. These should highlight desirable
traits without needing to state them (initiative,
intelligence, dedication, leadership, understanding,
etc).
RESULT Close with the result of your efforts.
Include figures to quantify the result if possible.

14. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test!
The STAR Model
The STAR Model can be used to help you structure your answer for behavioral questions like:
1. Describe the most difficult thing you’ve ever worked on.
2. Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge.
3. Tell us about when you went above and beyond the call of
duty.
4. Tell us about the toughest group that you’ve ever had to get
cooperation from?
5. Tell us about a time when you had to deal with a conflict
within your team and how you helped to resolve it?
And many more! Try it!
SITUATION + TASK + ACTION + RESULT

15. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test! FILL IN THE BLANK:
I can tell you ___________.
(25 POINTS) at least one thing that I am excited
about, related to the company role.
(25 POINTS) at least one thing that I am curious
about, related to the company role.
(25 POINTS) at least three things that makes me a
great fit for the position.
(25 POINTS) at least one thing I appreciate about my
current/previous employer.

16. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
Take the test!
How did you score?
(25-50 POINTS) You are excited about this
opportunity. That’s an awesome thing.
(75 POINTS) You are excited and you are confident
you are The One they are looking for (we think so,
too, that’s why we submitted you!).
(100 POINTS) You have at least one thing nice to say
about your current/previous employer – awesome!
50% of hiring managers in the CareerBuilder survey
said they are turned off when candidates speak
negatively of their former/current employers. No
matter what your experience has been with your
former/current workplace, resist the negative talk.
Being prepared to say something nice about your
current/former employer helps.

17. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
CHECKLIST! Interview Day Checklist
____ I got a full night’s sleep.
____ I am dressed appropriately.
____ I know how to get to the physical location of
where my interview will take place.
____ I have allotted plenty of time to get myself to
the interview at least 15 minutes early.
____ I have a printed copy of my resume, just in
case.
____ I have my recruiter’s number on speed dial,
just in case I need last-minute help (I’m lost, etc)

18. How
prepared
are you
for your
interview?
CHECKLIST!
I’m at the lobby!
____ I have turned my phone off.
____ I have a smile on my face.

19. You got this.
Have a fun interview!

20. Post-Interview
Do List
I’m done with the interview!
____ Call my recruiter and tell him/her how the
interview went.
____ Write the hiring manager a thank-you email.