I’m a career expert — these are the top 5 interview red flags

If you’re hunting for a new job, and you’ve made it to the interview stage, then congratulations! But, there are a number of things that interviewees commonly do that could cost you your dream job. These common mistakes seem small, but could be the difference between impressing your interviewer or making them cross your name off their list.

Career expert Mark Rothwell, the CEO of Hiring Hub, has shared his five top tips for making sure you can ace your interview. His first tip is to avoid being overly comfortable in your interviews.

This can be an instant red flag for interviewers and might make it seem as if you don’t take the job seriously. If you are sitting in bed for a virtual interview, or doing another task as you talk to your interviewer, this is a bad sign. Give the interviewer your full attention. 

Another red flag is a lack of references on your application – especially if you’re missing one from a current employer. Even if you have left a company on bad terms that were not your fault, including at least two is crucial.

Many employers will mainly just need to confirm you were employed there, so this shouldn’t be something to be cautious about.

Thirdly, make sure you do your research into the company you’re interviewing with. Turning up to an interview and not referring to the company’s clients, successes or even general knowledge can be a massive turn off for employers.

They may be seeing tons of candidates, so making your interviewer see how much you would like to be a part of the company could be the tipping point to landing the job.

Mark’s fourth red flag is an interviewee who isn’t dressed appropriately. Even if it’s a virtual interview, make sure you are dressed in a professional manner.

There have been instances of candidates attending virtual interviews with wet hair or tracksuit tops. In rare cases, depending on the company, employers may not mind this, but it is best to present yourself in the best way possible, rather than risk it.

Mark’s last tip is a simple one – stick to the truth and do not lie on your CV. This might seem incredibly obvious, but embellishing the truth can be tempting.

However, being caught out for lying is a very, very bad sign of your trustworthiness as an employee. It’s always better to stick to the truth.