Why You're Unemployed: Stop making these 5 common mistakes during interviews

After jumping through many application hoops, it’s vital to make a great impression on recruiters who will decide your fate.

Since interviews are an integral part of the job search process, we asked top Nigerian recruiters about the common mistakes job seekers make during their interviews.

One of the first questions most recruiters ask during an interview is, “Tell me about yourself.” That’s a tricky question, but you need to be careful about your answers, as first impressions matter and last longer.

Precious Samuels, the Chief Operating Officer at Career Buddy, says, “One of the things I’m not a fan of is ‘My name is so and so.’ I already know your name. You should get into your career progression, what you’ve done, your achievements, your past and present, and what you hope to achieve and how it all fits into the company. That’s what’s required from you, not random interesting tidbits about your life.”

During a job interview, you should find out as much as you can about the company. Asking questions makes you seem smart and well-prepared.

Bukola Oguntuyi, People and Culture Manager at ETAP says, “It’s important to remember that interviews aren’t just one-way Q&A sessions. Candidates should feel encouraged to ask questions about the company and its culture.”

Recruiters are constantly looking for how you can contribute to their companies positively. Having a proven track record of excellence and success is one of the best ways to make a good impression and land a job.

Samuels opines, “You have to communicate your impact, not the day-to-day job functions. You want to state how you’ve contributed to your former company’s success. The recruiters will still ask you about your day-to-day activities, so why not just wait for that and show demonstrable competence instead?”

Acing an interview is about standing out and saying the things to distinguish you from the next person. If you’re following a popular interview guide, you can fall into the habit of saying cliches like, “I can work under pressure.”

No matter how bad your last workplace is, don’t speak about the toxicity and how you hate your coworkers. Every workplace has its peculiar challenges, and what’s to say you won’t have horrible things to say about their company when you leave?

Grace Alfred, a Senior Talent Partner at Career Buddy, says, “Recruiters don’t like listening to negative comments about previous employers. Always talk about how you’re looking for new opportunities to grow and their company is the best fit for you.”