KEY POINTS:
If you ever thought you really botched a job interview, you probably haven't really done as bad as you think.
Anna McHardy, career seeker manager for Frog Recruitment, has interviewed plenty of candidates who weren't exactly short listed.
For instance, even if you're generation Y, if you're interviewing for an account manager role that will mean working with large corporate clients, it's important to look the part.
"He showed up in jeans and a T-shirt. He just had not thought about his appearance whatsoever and he was chewing gum," says McHardy.
This wanna-be high-flyer was slumped over with his elbows on the table and his hands on his chin - not the best body language if you're going for a corporate role.
But it gets worse.
"He answered his mobile phone twice during the interview and actually took the calls. I had to sit there and wait for like a minute while he had a conversation with this person."
Needless to say, this candidate didn't go very far. Never underestimate the influence attire will make on a first impression.
A job interview is a formal and rather conservative occasion. Jeans are never acceptable. And some things that may be acceptable at the coffee house aren't acceptable in an interview.
"They turn up and they've got blue and red and green streaks through their hair. If we're sending them through to a conservative company, we'll say to them that that's not acceptable in that sort of environment."
As for strutting cleavage in a job interview, you'd do better to keep your boobs in your blouse.
"People are judgemental. If you've got a lower receding type of top, what impression is that setting?"
A job interview is all about creating a good impression but some people are on the back foot before they even walk in the door.
"We can all run late. We all know that Auckland traffic is bad. But it's showing that level of professionalism if you ring ahead and say you're caught in traffic. I apologise."
That's why it's important to make sure you have the correct phone numbers on you, if not already pre-programmed into your mobile.
"I have said to people in interviews, 'Did you maybe think to call ahead and let me know you were running late?' It's just rude if you don't ring ahead."
If you're not the type to arrive 10 minutes early and relax with a magazine, then don't claim you are in the interview.
"Some people come in late and you ask what their strengths are and they say good time management."
Any lying during a job interview is asking for trouble. Even if you don't have the most exciting life, there is no reason to lie about your hobbies and interests on an application.
"This guy had written down that he liked cooking. It came to the end of the interview and we asked, 'So you really enjoy cooking? That's fantastic. What sort of things do you like to cook?' Then the guy suddenly went bright red and mentioned that he liked to cook pasta."
It was obvious that he was lying and the guy came clean.
"He actually said, 'Well I actually just put that down there to list some interests and hobbies."'
And if you're hobbies and interests are not likely to win you any points, then you don't have to list them.
"I had one candidate list her hobbies as just wine. It wasn't like wine appreciation or wine tasting but just wine. I don't know if I would have put down that my interests and hobbies were just alcohol."
If you did lie on your application or are just nervous because you're interviewing, avoid fidgeting.
"It happens often that people will start fiddling. They will pick up a pen and just start clicking it. That's really off-putting."
It may be off-putting. It may be annoying. Or it might drive someone absolutely crazy.
"There was one woman who kept playing with her hair and then kept touching the end of her nose all the time. It doesn't show professionalism. It makes you wonder if the person is listening to you."
If you're prone to these types of behaviours, there are ways to make sure you don't do them.
"Make sure that when you're sitting across the table, you don't have anything in front of you that you're likely to fiddle with. Don't have a pen. Put it to the side."
Another thing that can land your CV at the bottom of the pile is if you come off as arrogant. Cocky people are seen as disrespectful and generally disliked.
"No one really likes a smart arse, do they?"
But some people may not know they're coming off that way. You might need to ask for some feedback to make sure you're drawing a line between being confident and being arrogant.
"Someone who may be a little bit nervous but feeling confident and wanting to get across all their strengths and skills may have a delivery that's arrogant."
McHardy says the most common mistake people make in job interviews isn't arrogance, attire or punctuality. It's simply not knowing when to stop talking.
