Going on a job interview is an exciting and nerve-racking process that gives you the opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer. The problem is that along the way, your potential employer uses their power to set up little traps. If you are not prepared when you enter, you will stick out like a sore thumb and get scratched right off the list of potential candidates. To make sure you land your next big job, here are some potential pitfalls and how to avoid them so that you get that new job you’re looking for with the most benefits possible.

• The interviewer asks, “What are your weaknesses?”

  This is one of the most common questions asked by an interviewer and for great reason. The inexperienced interviewee generally gives two different answers. The most common answer that I hear is a strength disguised as a weakness such as, “I really work too hard and too many hours” or “I’m too dedicated to my job and it can sometimes have an effect on my personal life.” After hearing this horrible answer, the interviewer has learned nothing and is slightly annoyed with you. The interviewee made the critical mistake of demonstrating that they can’t answer an honest question. The trick to this question is to use it to your advantage through an honest answer with a careful demonstration of a strive to overcome a weakness.

  This may come as a surprise, but we all have weaknesses! The man or woman asking you this question has weaknesses that he or she is aware of as well! What the interviewer wants to know is what your actual weakness is and how you will overcome it. Let’s look at an example. If you have a degree in Finance and you’re applying for a Financial Analyst position, you know that you really need both finance and accounting knowledge to be effective in this position. You know enough accounting to get by but there is definitely room for improvement. Answer the question by saying, “My degree is in the field of Finance and that really is where my strength is. My accounting knowledge is strong but since that wasn’t the focus of my degree, there is room for improvement there.” Now, before the interviewer has the chance to move on to the next question, continue by showing how you plan to overcome that weakness! “In order to be a truly well-rounded Financial Analyst, I’d like to go back to school and earn a degree in Accounting as well so that I can have a practical mastery of both subjects.” You’ve used a question about your weakness to actually demonstrate a strength (your Finance knowledge) while answering the question honestly about your accounting deficiency without making yourself sound like a bad choice for the position. Furthermore, you’ve shown that you’re a proactive and ambitious person by having the desire to go back to school to better yourself for the company! Generally, this will start a conversation about where your accounting skills truly are and it is your chance to show that what you feel is a weakness could actually be better than what most candidates for the position know. If the conversation does not naturally go in that direction, be sure to bring it up tactfully to reinforce your knowledge.

  The second common response to this question is for candidates to honestly state a horrible weakness! I am shocked every time this happens and I generally rule the candidate out immediately. I have actually heard people tell me (on more than one occasion), “I have trouble being punctual and I’m frequently late.” They will often try to fix this awful answer by adding, “Of course, I end up staying a little later after work to balance it out.” No! The interviewer does not want to hear this type of glaring character flaw so keep it to yourself!

• The interviewer asks, “What are you looking to make in this position?”

  Another tough question but this time you’re prepared to fight back! You never want to give a number right away as your answer! Here’s why–unless you know precisely what the position pays (which is almost never the case), you don’t want to give a salary requirement that is too high and instantly get scratched off the potential candidate list. On the other side of the coin, you don’t want to give a number too low and sell yourself short so you are definitely in a precarious position. Instead, answer with a question; “What has human resources budgeted for this position?” Human Resources will set a range of salary for most positions so they tell the IT Department, “Look for someone for the database administrator position and we’ll pay them between $60,000 and $70,000 annually.” Your interviewer will likely repeat that range to you and provide you with the chance to shine with your answer. Show confidence by responding, “That’s great. I see myself coming in somewhere in the middle of that range with the chance to move up after I’ve proven myself to management.” You’ve done it! You show that you’re confident in your skills and you don’t come across as greedy.

• A Candidate Shows Up To The Interview Underdressed

  If you know that a company has a business-casual attire, should you show up to the interview wearing khaki pants and a polo shirt? Absolutely not! The entire idea behind a job interview is for you to sell the company on why you’re going to do great things for them. Showing up in a suit does not make you look like a snob or like you’re trying too hard. Instead, it shows the interviewer that you care enough about this job that you’re willing to go the extra mile for the company. You don’t even have the job yet and you’re already winning them over with your extra effort!

• Do not slander your previous employer.

  When asked, “So why are you leaving ABC Company?” it is so easy to answer, “My boss there is an idiot and the company stinks. Oh, they really expect a lot out of me too and I have to put in so many hours for the little bit of money they pay me.” The sad part is, this may very well be true! Even if the words being thrown from your mouth with disdain are 100% factual, the interviewer does not want to hear them! Always make a tactful exit from a company and show that respect to the next employer. I recommend that before your interview, prepare for this question by thinking of how this new company differs from your old company. The chances are strong that one of those differences is very appealing to you and can evolve into the perfect answer. If your prior employer was a homebuilder and you want to get a job with a tech firm, highlight how the building industry doesn’t change very frequently and that you’re very interested in this company because of how dynamic the technology industry is. In fact, feel free to compliment your former employer and bosses. An answer such as, “I’m really going to miss ABC Company because I became very close with a lot of the people there and the company really builds great homes. However, your company has a fantastic reputation and the industry you are in is really interesting so I think this would be a great fit for me.” Always keep in mind that the high road is the best way to answer any question.

• If the employer wanted to hear canned answers, interviews would be done through email.

  It is imperative for you to sit down and prepare for your interview before you go in. Always do your homework! Part of this involves educating yourself on the company you are interviewing with plus learning about their key competitors. One of the most important parts of this preparation is creating a list of questions you think the interviewer will ask and then planning your answers to these questions. However, don’t fall into the trap of memorizing your answers to the point that they become robotic! You know that the interviewer will ask you, “What are your strengths?” The key here is to come up with a few bullet points so that you can ad lib your answer with guidance. I have listened to people ramble on with what sounds like an memorized speech and I’ve heard answers that sound more like beauty pageant answers!

  On the same topic of preparation, it is imperative that you have answers already formulated for the common interview questions. You do not want to let yourself be surprised by a question and have to sit and think of an answer while the interviewer is sitting across the table staring at you—the pressure is already high and under those conditions, it is easy to say something you don’t really mean.

• Let your personality shine through!

  Always remember that the interviewer is looking for someone that he or she will want to work with. If you answer questions without any personality or a friendly smile, you may prove that you’re someone that can handle the job but will the interviewer want to see you every day for the next few years? Chances are, the company can find an equally capable person that is also friendly and energetic.

• Don’t get too far off topic. You may leave a bad taste in the interviewer’s mouth.

  As mentioned above, the interviewer is interested in someone that can fill the position but is also interested in you as a person. You may be surprised to hear a question like, “Ohio State? How’d you like going there? Seems like a fun school!” This isn’t your time to go on and on about how great your friends were and how many parties there are. This is a great chance to let your personality shine through and give a brief answer on why you liked the school. It is also your chance to tie in why that school benefits your next employer. If you’re applying for a programming position, mention how great the programming department was at the end of your answer. You’ve accomplished two things—you’ve shown your personality and you’ve given the interviewer a great segue into his or her next question. Be courteous of the interviewer’s time since it is a workday for that person. Once you leave, your interviewer will have to get right back to their normal tasks and is likely behind due to the time they took out of their day to speak to you. Rambling on may make the interviewer resent you later in the day when they are frantically trying to get their work done. It also may make you appear as someone that is going to waste your coworker’s time in the future so please do not make that mistake!

• Practice makes person so test your interview skills before going in blind!

  Let’s say you really want that dream job with ABC Company but you haven’t interviewed in ages (or ever). A huge mistake people tend to make is hurrying to apply to that dream job and then bombing in the interview. When you get the call asking you to come in, it is a nerve-racking experience. Stress is high because you really want the job and for those reasons, you’re likely not going to give your best performance. Instead, apply to jobs that are similar but you really don’t think you’d want. I hate to say it, but waste some other company’s time and try to interview elsewhere before you go in for your dream job. This will give you hands-on experience and great practice. By the time the dream job calls, you’re going to be well-rehearsed and ready to impress your next employer.

• Show up at the right time but not too early.

  This last tip is one that really drives me crazy when people are overly ambitious or way too disrespectful. We all know that you cannot show up late to your interview. If someone is even a minute late, I’ve ruled them out as a candidate completely. The reason is simple—the interview is where this person is going to try and impress me the most. If I start out unimpressed, we know it is all downhill from there. However, when do you show up then?

  If an interviewer asks you to come in at 10:00am, try to get to the interview around 10 minutes early. The idea here is that when you walk in the front door and you’re greeted by the front-desk attendant, they will call the interviewer and let them know you have arrived. The interviewer then knows you showed up slightly early but you’re not so early that you’ve put pressure on them to rearrange their schedule. Often, I will have someone show up 30 minutes early. I know that they truly want to impress me with their punctuality but it leaves me in a predicament. If I wait until the scheduled interview time, I’m forced to leave the candidate sitting which is pretty rude. However, to take them at the moment they arrive leaves me rearranging my schedule to fit them in early. When you go for your interview, you’re going to have to leave your home much earlier than you think you need to in order to ensure you’re on time. If you show up very early, sit in your car and practice your questions and answers in your head before going in. If you’re very nervous, listen to the radio or do anything to take your mind off the stress.

• Think positively. You wouldn’t be sitting in the interview if the company wasn’t interested.

  This sounds like a no-brainer but I’ve seen many people answer my questions with looks on their faces like they think I don’t want them. You need to show up with confidence and let the interviewer know that you’re proud of your education and work history. If you’re not confident you can do the job, neither is your interviewer! Don’t be cocky or arrogant, but definitely show that you are prepared to take on the position and do a great job.

  If you have any other interview tips to share with other readers, please leave a note in the comments. Have a horror story? We’d love to hear that too!