Not Making It Past the First Round of Interviews? Read This.

Nice. You’ve gotten through the first stage of the hiring process–actually making an impact and getting a call back–but you went on the first-round interview and you feel uneasy. Two weeks later, with no call back and you begin to regret having those wrinkles in your shirt or not wearing perfume on the day of the interview. A month passes by with absolutely no word back even though Tina, the receptionist, told you that the hiring manager would “get back to you.” At this point you’ve lost all hope.

Sound like a routine that you’ve been through? If so, it may, like everything else in the hiring process, be an unlucky roll of the dice. If it begins to happen more frequently however, you may want to revisit how you approach that first-round interview. Below are some common mistakes on the first interview and some tips on how to avoid making them.

1. You’re late: It seems obvious, right? Be on time or else what kind of bar are you setting? Many start-up companies have no dedicated HR department and there is a high likelihood that the person interviewing you has another role in the company. If you are applying to a communications department, the Director of Communications would likely be interviewing you and probably has other things to do. Being late literally impedes their ability to do their work and that is certainly not the first thing you want to do to a prospective boss.

Don’t take chances. Making a test run can be time consuming, but unless you’re familiar with the location of the interview, going to it beforehand will allow you to gauge how much time it will take you to get there. 15 minutes early is a great amount of time to show that you are punctual but not needy.

2. Fit the Role, Fit the Culture: I’m not asking you to revolutionize yourself in a day in order to land that job, but what I am saying is that there are things that you can do to show that you are the best fit for the job. Research the company to see what kind of vibe they are giving off and what kind of culture they have.

If you are going for a super corporate role, you want to look the part and make sure that there are, indeed, no wrinkles in that shirt. Having a massive hipster beard or really long hair like an 80s rock star most likely won’t work either. It seems superficial, but companies don’t know you and in this case they are more likely to pick a book by its cover. If you are going for a more casual or laid-back environment, your attire and your attitude should reflect that as well. Cultural fit is one of the main things hiring managers look at and so it makes sense that this is what eliminates most people after the first round.

3. Don’t be Needy: There is a fine line between being excited and energetic and being totally dependent on landing the job. There’s nothing worse for the hiring manager than having someone’s life depend on whether they land this job or not. More importantly, it sends up red flags to hiring managers about how stable this person would be in the role.

Leveraging a current job not only makes you look like a more desirable candidate, but can also come in handy when negotiating salaries.

4. Not Actually Answering Questions: You’ve got to listen to the person interviewing you. Sometimes it can be overwhelming being in a new environment with new people. but you need to taper your excitement in order to land that job. It’s easy to forget people’s names when you are nervously going through the process, but take heed of people that you meet.

When you’re on the actual interview it may be tempting to throw out every achievement you’ve ever accomplished, or cut the person off interviewing you because you believe you know the intended question, but you should listen and answer coherently and honestly. The interviewer will be looking for accurate answers, especially for science or tech jobs, but more importantly they want to know if you can have a conversation and get a better understanding of your personality. When you are talking over a person, they can assume that’s how you’ll act at the workplace.

5. Following up: Send a thank you e-mail a day after your interview. You want to make sure that the hiring manager not only remembers you, but that you have the initiative to follow through. Paying attention to people’s names and getting contact info is important.

When following up you want to avoid calling too often or sending too many e-mails or you’ll actually begin violating #3 on this list. A good balance of responsibility and courtesy should be the reason for the e-mails, not an inquisitive tone.

Keep these things in mind on your first interview and you can implement them for the second round. Be genuine but prepared and good luck in the search!