The document provides 10 tips to avoid common mistakes in job interviews. These include lying, criticizing current employers, being rude, complaining, talking negatively about coworkers, lack of preparation, appearing too nervous or confident, not researching the company, and failing to acknowledge mistakes. The document stresses being honest, polite, professional, prepared and paying attention to the interviewer.

1. Avoid the Top 10 Interview Mistakes<br />The best way to avoid the most common and dangerous interview mistakes is to think ahead and decide not to make them... Read on for a whistle-stop tour of the top ten interview clangers! 1. Lying Although it's tempting, it doesn't work. By all means gloss over the unflattering things. But out-right fibbing NEVER pays. Mark Twain said: \"
If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything.\"
Think about it. They will catch you out later. 2. Slating your current company or boss Fed up with your current job and would give anything to leave because they've treated you badly? Your job interview is NOT the time to seek revenge. Bear in mind that the interviewer will be listening to your answers and thinking about what it would be like to work with you. Ask yourself: do you like working with people who constantly criticise others? Isn't it a bit wearing? The trouble is that the interviewer draws massive conclusions from your answers. So your throwaway comment about your boss or employer may be interpreted to be your \"
standard\"
way of thinking. It makes you look bad, not your employer. 3. Being Rude If you find you were accidentally rude, then apologise calmly and genuinely. Then leave it behind you and get on with the rest of the interview. If you dwell on it, it will affect your performance. What's \"
rude\"
? Well, that depends on your audience. As a rule of thumb, avoid cracking jokes about potentially sensitive topics and beware of being too \"
pally\"
with the interviewer: polite and friendly is enough. After all, you're not in the pub with them. So stay professional. Also bear in mind that everyone you meet could be involved in the selection process. So blanking the receptionist or talking down to the junior members of staff could cost you the job. 4. Complaining Ok, so your train journey might have been a nightmare and maybe you thought the tube would never arrive, or the tailbacks on the motorway were endless. But your interviewer doesn't want to know that! Complaining, even in jest, is not a recommended icebreaker. It may be completely harmless, or it might simply make the interviewer switch off. Don't let complaining set the tone for the interview! 5. Talking about people you don't get on with at work These days, it's common to be asked how you deal with conflict. Companies realise the importance of interpersonal relationships in the working environment. So if they ask you about difficult people or situations make sure you hold back from character assassination and blaming others for problems because it won't do you any favours! If you accidentally do \"
break\"
this rule, apologies and explain what you \"
really\"
meant. 6. Not Being Prepared Re-read the relevant version of your CV and the job advert, just before the interview. You'd be surprised how many people can't remember what they wrote on their CV. And if you remember what type of person the job advert was looking for, it's easier to demonstrate that you have those qualities. Make sure you've brought with you anything you were asked for. It's fine to bring a note-pad and pen, but make sure they're tidy. It's even ok to bring notes with you; particularly if you have any questions you want to ask. It shows you're taking the job application seriously. Ill-prepared candidates rarely get job offers. 7. Appearing to be too nervous, or too confident If you appear too nervous they'll think you're not confident enough to do the job. However, appearing too confident will make them think you won't fit into the team. If interview nerves are an issue for you, it's worth getting practical help from a professional, such as an interview coach. 8. Making a weak first impression Unfortunately, no matter how hard the interviewer tries, a lot of \"
don't want to hire them\"
decisions are made in the first few minutes of contact. If you make a strong first impression, the interviewer will be more inclined to overlook \"
imperfections\"
in your answers. 9. Not having researched the company As a general rule, the more famous the brand, the more they will expect you to have done your homework. Researching the company shows you're serious about the job. 10. Putting your foot in it and not noticing Yes, we know, you didn't mean to put your foot in it. But it doesn't really matter what you intended. What counts is how the other person reacts. So what can you do? Be prepared to simply say \"
sorry, that's not what I meant!\"
This requires you to actually be paying attention to the interviewer, rather than your own thoughts and feelings. Once you've apologised, leave it there, take a deep breath to help you relax and move on with the job interview.<br />Complete Guide on CV Preparation<br />CV's are called a variety of things (eg, curriculum vitae, resume). There is no universally accepted format. The most important attribute of a successful CV is that it clearly explains to the reader what it is that you can do for them. Your CV should be: - A well-presented, selling document - A source of interesting, relevant information - A script for talking about yourself The purpose of your CV is not to get you the job. Its purpose is to get you an interview, and after your meeting to remind the person you met with about you. Remember: you are not writing a CV for yourself, you are writing it for the reader. So, as you write your CV, put yourself in the shoes of the intended reader. This section takes you through the content and detail of effective CVs: - A standard two-page printed CV - A one-page summary CV - An online CV The decision to recruit is like a buying decision on the part of an employer. This creates a very clear picture of what a CV must include: 1. It must meet the needs of the target organisation where possible. This means a single generalist CV is unlikely to be sufficient. 2. It must highlight your achievements and how they relate to the job you are applying for. It must give the reader a clear indication of why you should be considered for this role. To decide what to include in your CV and where, follow these principles and guidelines: 1. Generally, the document should contain no more than 2 pages. Sometimes, a one page summary is all that is required. 2. Your CV should be honest and factual. 3. The first page should contain enough personal details for a recruitment consultant or potential employer to contact you easily. 4. Choose a presentation format that allows you to headline key skills, key achievements or key attributes. 5. Your employment history should commence with your current or most recent job and work backwards. 6. Achievements should be short, bullet-pointed statements and include your role, the action you took and a comment on the result of your action. 7. Where information clearly demonstrates your suitability for the vacancy you're applying for, and enhances your chances of being short-listed, include this information near the beginning of the CV. 8. Leave out information that is irrelevant or negative. 9. Include details of recent training or skills development events you have attended which could be relevant. 10. List all your professional memberships and relevant qualifications. As we work through examples in this section, we will continually refer back to these principles and guidelines. The most common contents of a CV include: - Personal Details - Skills and Career Summary - Key Achievements - Qualifications - Career History Don't forget: The ultimate test of YOUR CV is whether it meets the needs of the person making the buying decision, and whether YOU feel comfortable with its content and style. The next few pages will provide a detailed description of how to achieve this. When you submit a printed CV to a recruiter or a potential employer, it is likely to be the first thing they get to see or read of yours. Therefore, you need to present your CV well and make it user friendly. For example: * Use a good quality paper, typically 100gsm in weight and watermarked. In most cases, be conservative and print your CV in black ink on white paper. Covering letters should use identical stationery. * Lay your CV out neatly * Don't make the margins too deep or too narrow * Resist writing lengthy paragraphs - be concise * Careful use of bold type can be effective * Typefaces such as Times New Roman or Arial are fairly standard * Do not use a type size less than 11pt. * Check for spelling or typographical errors - whoever actually types your CV, errors are YOUR responsibility. Don't rely on a spell checker. If you're not sure about a word, resort to a dictionary. Sloppiness and lack of care could be heavily penalised. Key Skills/Competencies/Attributes: Summarise the things about you that are relevant to this role. You can present the information as a list of achievements, a summary of skills, or a list of key competencies (this choice should be made in consultation with your career consultant). Give as much evidence as you can to suggest that you are suited to the career that you are pursuing. A reminder: You will find a list of your skills in the summary pages. The one-page summary CV may also include one or two of the following sections if you consider they enhance your application.<br />How to Stay Happy at Work<br />How often do you get the Sunday evening blues? Every now and again, or every week without fail? If it’s the latter, maybe you should think about moving on… But lots of people find themselves in the situation where they’re not ready to move jobs just yet – perhaps because they’ve only been in the role a short time, or because they want to gain more experience. So if you find yourself in the situation where you’re in a job that is okay but not brilliant, or that you really need to see through for a period of time, what can you do to make it more interesting and - dare we say it – more fun? Here are some suggestions: Positive Thinking Focus on the positives – what do you really like about your job (come on, there must be something)? How could you incorporate more of that into your working day? Remind yourself of the other positive aspects of your work – your friends and colleagues, for instance. Challenge Yourself Find new challenges. One of the reasons that we can get restless in our job is, quite simply, boredom. Think about ways in which you could make your role more interesting. Perhaps you could volunteer to mentor new staff, or spend some time every week shadowing people in other departments to get a broader perspective on the business? Discuss your ideas with your manager. Flexible Working Is there scope for you to work more flexibly? Working from home one day a week, for example, could give you more variety. This is not an excuse to get up late and lie around watching daytime TV, though – you’ll need to be able to show some output for your time away from the office! Again, discuss the options with your manager. Learn More If you feel you’re not being stimulated enough mentally, consider doing some training or a course that is work-related: it will give you new insights, help to keep you fresh, and will be a useful addition to your CV when you are ready to move on. Network Network more. If meeting new people is not already part of your role, find ways to incorporate it. Meeting people and getting fresh perspectives can help you to keep yourself interested and interesting. If there don’t seem to be many networking opportunities where you are, create some! Organize a team outing, or arrange for you and your colleagues to meet up with staff from another part of the company. Have Some Fun Inject a bit of fun into your workplace. That could be as simple as croissants on a Monday morning or a team drink on Friday afternoon. Or it could be a more structured social event. Your work colleagues don’t have to be your bosom buddies, but you’ll enjoy your working day much more if there’s a bit of banter and humour around. Just because your work is a serious business doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while you do it! Improve Your Social Life Make an effort to do more interesting things outside of work. If your working week consists of getting up in the morning, going to work, coming home, having dinner, slumping in front of the TV and then going to bed, your job is going to have a disproportionate impact on your overall mood. Try to fit a couple of social engagements into your week – a dancing class or an art exhibition, perhaps, or just a catch-up with friends you haven’t seen for a while. Having something to look forward to during the week will help to make it more bearable. Prioritise Your Workload If you find that your problem is you’re working such long hours that you don’t have time to have fun outside work, let alone in the office, you need to tackle this. Get used to prioritizing your workload – negotiate extensions to deadlines if necessary – and make yourself leave the office on time at least 3 nights a week. Most of us have periods when we’re extra-busy and end up working long hours, but if this is happening to you routinely, you need to get out of that rut.<br />