19+ Common Interview Mistakes & Tips on How to Avoid Them
Interview mistakes sabotage even the most qualified candidates, no matter how polished your resume is. Whether you're navigating behavioral questions, managing virtual interview technology, or simply trying to project confidence without appearing arrogant, small missteps can derail your entire candidacy. However, most of these errors are completely preventable with the right preparation and awareness.
In this comprehensive guide, we walk you through the most frequent interview mistakes and provide actionable strategies to avoid them. You'll discover which errors hiring managers consider deal-breakers, how to recover gracefully when things go wrong, and proven preparation techniques that set you apart from other applicants.
- Interview mistakes are common across all experience levels and can cost you job opportunities.
- Preparation is the most effective way to avoid common interview errors.
- Body language, communication skills, and research about the company are critical success factors.
- Both in-person and virtual interviews require specific preparation strategies.
- Following up properly after an interview is as important as the interview itself.
How Interview Mistakes Affect Job Candidacy
Interview mistakes can undermine your job candidacy by shaping how employers perceive your professionalism, skills and qualifications, and cultural fit. These missteps cost opportunities because employers interpret them as indicators of future job performance.
Interview mistakes can occur at three distinct stages of the hiring process:
- Pre-interview phase. These include failing to research the company, not preparing thoughtful questions, or neglecting to test your technology for virtual interviews.
- During the actual interview. This includes everything from poor body language and rambling answers to checking your phone or appearing disinterested.
- Post-interview stage. It has its own pitfalls, such as failing to send a thank-you email, being too pushy with follow-ups, or neglecting to maintain professionalism until you've officially accepted an offer.
15 Common Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Job interviews determine career trajectories, and understanding common interview mistakes helps you prepare yourself effectively. That said, let’s examine the most common ones to ensure you make strong, positive impressions.
#1. Arriving Late or Too Early
Arriving late to an interview creates an immediate negative first impression that's nearly impossible to overcome, as it suggests you'll bring the same lack of reliability to the job itself.
However, showing up more than 15 minutes early causes problems, too. Your interviewer might be finishing another meeting, preparing for your conversation, or dealing with urgent work matters.
The sweet spot is arriving 10-15 minutes before your scheduled time for in-person interviews. This gives you enough buffer to find parking, navigate the building, use the restroom, and compose yourself without rushing. For virtual interviews, log in about 5 minutes early to test your audio, video, and lighting.
If unexpected delays happen—traffic accidents, transit problems, or genuine emergencies—call immediately to explain the situation. Most employers understand that life happens, but they need to know you're aware of the problem and taking it seriously.
#2. Lack of Research About the Company
Walking into an interview without understanding the company you're hoping to join is like going on a first date and never asking the other person anything about themselves. It screams, "I'm not really that interested in you specifically—I just need a job." Hiring managers can spot this instantly, and it's one of the fastest ways to get eliminated from consideration.
Research the company thoroughly, its mission, values, and culture. This often reveals what they prioritize in employees. Dig into recent news and achievements—press releases, product launches, expansion announcements, or awards won in the past 6-12 months provide excellent talking points.
The beauty of thorough research is that it naturally comes up during your interview. When asked why you want to work there, you can cite specific initiatives that excite you. When discussing your qualifications, you can connect your experience to their current challenges or goals.
#3. Inappropriate or Unprofessional Attire
Your outfit is the first thing interviewers notice, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. Inappropriate interview dress code—whether too casual, too formal, or just plain wrong for the industry—sends a message that you don't understand professional norms or didn't care enough to figure them out.
Consider your industry and interview type when choosing interview attire.
Traditional corporate environments (finance, law, consulting) typically expect formal business professional clothing, e.g., suits, dress shoes, and minimal accessories. On the other hand, tech companies and creative industries often prefer business casual that shows personality without being sloppy. When in doubt, it's better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed—you can always remove a jacket or loosen a tie.
Virtual interviews present their own wardrobe challenges. You might be tempted to wear pajama pants since they're off-camera, but that mindset shows, and technical glitches happen. Plus, dressing professionally puts you in a more focused, professional mindset. Pay extra attention to colors and patterns that look good on camera—solid colors in jewel tones or neutrals work better than busy patterns that can create weird visual effects.
#4. Poor Body Language
Your body often speaks louder than your words, and hiring managers are trained to read nonverbal cues throughout the interview. Even if you're saying all the right things, poor body language can undermine your message and make interviewers question your confidence, honesty, or genuine interest in the position.
Poor body language includes several nonverbal cues, such as:
- Lack of eye contact
- Weak handshakes
- Slouching
- Excessive fidgeting
- Crossed arms
You don't need to maintain an uncomfortable stare, but regular, natural eye contact shows confidence and engagement. In panel interviews, distribute your eye contact among all interviewers, not just the person asking questions.
Your handshake should be firm (not crushing), your posture upright and open, your movements controlled and purposeful. If you're a natural fidgeter, practice keeping your hands calmly folded or resting on the table.
Smile genuinely when appropriate, lean slightly forward to show interest, use natural hand gestures when explaining complex ideas, and mirror the interviewer's energy level.
As for virtual interviews, position your camera at eye level, look at the camera lens (not your own image on screen) when speaking, and sit at a comfortable distance that shows your head and shoulders.
#5. Speaking Negatively About Previous Employers
This is possibly the biggest red flag for most hiring managers. When you talk badly about previous employers, bosses, or colleagues, you're essentially showing employers exactly what you'll say about them after you leave. Common interview questions often address difficult work situations, and nobody wants to hire someone who'll eventually drag their reputation through the mud.
When discussing why you left a previous role, focus on what you're moving toward rather than what you're escaping. Practice diplomatic responses to potentially loaded questions before your interview.
Ask a mentor or a friend to role-play scenarios where you're asked about difficult bosses, toxic work environments, or reasons for leaving. The more you practice neutral, professional language, the more naturally it'll come during the actual interview.
#6. Failing to Prepare Answers to Common Questions
You'd think candidates would prepare for questions they know are coming, yet countless interviewers report candidates who stumble through "Tell me about yourself" or draw complete blanks when asked about their strengths and weaknesses. These questions aren't tricks—they're opportunities to showcase what makes you an excellent fit for the role.
"Tell me about yourself" is your chance to deliver a compelling 90-second elevator pitch that connects your background to the position. Here’s a good structure to use: current role + key accomplishment + how you got there (brief career highlights) + why you’re excited about the opportunity.
For strengths, choose 2-3 that directly relate to the job requirements and back them with specific examples. For weaknesses, pick something genuine but not disqualifying, and always explain what you're doing to improve.
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" isn't asking you to predict the future with perfect accuracy. Employers want to know if you're ambitious, if you've thought about your career trajectory, and whether this role aligns with your goals. Tailor your answer to show growth within their company or industry rather than jumping ship to something completely different.
The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) provides a proven framework for behavioral questions. This structure ensures you give complete, compelling answers that highlight your problem-solving abilities and impact.
The key is practicing without sounding rehearsed. Record yourself answering common questions, then play it back. Memorize the key points and examples, but let the exact wording vary slightly each time so you sound authentic.
#7. Not Asking Any Questions
Asking questions to the interviewer is your opportunity to demonstrate genuine interest, assess whether the role is right for you, and stand out as a candidate who thinks strategically.
Prepare 10-15 intelligent questions based on your company research, and keep them organized by topic. You won't ask all of them—many will be answered during the interview—but having a deep pool ensures you never run out. Taking notes during the interview helps too, as you can formulate questions based on what you learn in real-time.
However, avoid detailed questions about salary, benefits, vacation time, or work-from-home policies in early interviews. While these things matter, asking about them before you've sold yourself makes you seem more interested in what the company can do for you than what you can do for them.
#8. Oversharing Personal Information
While building rapport is important, your interviewer isn't your therapist, best friend, or confessor—they're evaluating whether you'll be a good fit for their team. Even if your interviewer seems friendly and casual, remember that they're still assessing your judgment and professionalism.
The challenge is that some interviewers will ask personal questions—sometimes inappropriately. Questions about marital status, plans to have children, age, religion, or other EEOC-protected topics. You don't have to answer them directly, and you certainly shouldn't volunteer this information unprompted.
When faced with inappropriate questions, redirect diplomatically. Here’s how this might look in practice:
Interviewer: "Do you have kids?"
Candidate: "I maintain excellent work-life balance and have reliable arrangements that ensure I can fully commit to this role's responsibilities."
The example above addresses the interviewer's underlying concern (will family obligations interfere with work?) without actually answering the personal question. It shares enough to seem human without crossing into TMI territory.
#9. Focusing Only on What the Job Can Do for You
Many candidates spend the entire interview talking about their career goals, salary expectations, professional development opportunities, and work-life balance preferences without once addressing what value they'll bring to the company. However, employers hire people to solve problems and achieve goals, not to provide someone with a career advancement opportunity.
You need to establish your value first before discussing what you hope to gain. That said, here’s a good example you can use:
I'm excited about the leadership responsibilities in this role because I can bring fresh perspectives to team development, similar to how I mentored junior team members at my current company, which improved our onboarding efficiency by 30%.
Show alignment between your personal goals and company objectives. Research the company's strategic priorities, then explain how your ambitions complement their direction.
Once you've established that foundation, discussing your growth opportunities becomes a natural extension of the conversation about mutual fit rather than the primary focus.
#10. Lying or Exaggerating Your Qualifications
Lying on your resume or during interviews is one of the fastest ways to destroy your career before it even starts. Employers verify information, and being caught in a lie typically results in immediate termination—even if you're already working there.
Verification happens more often than you might think. Background check companies can confirm degrees, previous employment, and job titles. References will be called. Skills assessments or trial projects often reveal when you've overstated your abilities.
The key is how you frame your experience and skills. Saying you "led a team of five" when you occasionally provided informal guidance to colleagues crosses into dishonesty. Saying you "collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, often taking initiative on project coordination" accurately represents the same experience without inflating your role.
When you lack a required skill, honesty combined with enthusiasm for learning beats false claims every time. "I haven't used that specific software, but I've quickly mastered similar tools in the past, and I'm confident I can get up to speed quickly," shows self-awareness and capability. Pretending you're proficient when you're not just delays the inevitable discovery.
Your resume and interview responses need to tell a consistent story. That’s why having a copy of your resume in front of you during interviews helps you maintain consistency.
#11. Poor Communication Skills
Communication skills are essential in virtually every role, yet many candidates sabotage themselves through rambling answers, excessive filler words, interrupting, or failing to listen actively. These communication failures suggest you'll be equally difficult to work with on the job.
Here’s what to avoid and how:
- Rambling. Candidates get nervous and start talking without knowing where they're going, hoping the right answer emerges somewhere in their verbal wandering. The fix is practicing the STAR method and having a clear structure for your responses.
- Filler words ("um," "like," "you know," and "basically"). Everyone uses them occasionally, but when every sentence includes multiple fillers, it becomes distracting and unprofessional. Record yourself answering practice questions to identify your filler word patterns, then consciously work on replacing them with brief pauses instead.
- Volume. Speaking too quietly makes you seem timid and unconfident, forcing interviewers to strain to hear you. Speaking too loudly can come across as aggressive or domineering. Find a moderate volume that projects confidence without overwhelming the space—and remember that phone and video interviews often require slightly more projection than in-person conversations.
- Interrupting the interviewer. It shows you're more interested in what you want to say than in actually listening to their questions or concerns. If you accidentally interrupt, apologize immediately and invite them to continue. Better yet, practice pausing for a full second or two after they finish speaking before you begin your answer.
#12. Checking Your Phone or Getting Distracted
The urge to check your phone can be overwhelming—but doing so during an interview is professional suicide. It screams "I don't value your time" and "I'm not fully present," which are qualities exactly zero employers are looking for in candidates.
Turn your phone completely off before the interview, not just on silent or vibrate. Silenced phones still light up, create subtle vibrations, and tempt you to glance at them. Put your phone in your bag or pocket where it's completely out of sight and out of mind for the duration of the interview.
If you're genuinely expecting a critical call (family member in hospital, closing on a house that day), briefly mention this at the start of the interview. Frame it like this:
I want to apologize in advance—my mother is having surgery this afternoon, and I may need to take a call from the hospital. Otherwise, I'm completely focused on our conversation.
Virtual interviews present additional distraction challenges. Email notifications, Slack messages, social media alerts, and household interruptions all threaten to derail your focus. Close all applications except your video conferencing software, silence notifications on your computer, put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door, and alert family members or roommates that you're in an interview.
#13. Appearing Disinterested or Unenthusiastic
Energy and enthusiasm can make up for minor employment gaps or gaps in qualifications, while lack of interest can eliminate even the most qualified candidate. Enthusiasm shows through multiple channels:
- Tone of voice
- Facial expressions
- Body language
- Questions you ask
- Specific examples you share
You want to appear genuinely interested without seeming desperate or overeager. Enthusiastic candidates talk about how they can contribute and what excites them about the work itself. Desperate candidates focus on how badly they need the job and how grateful they'd be to be chosen.
Different interview formats require different energy levels:
- Phone interviews need extra vocal energy since visual cues are absent—what feels like exaggerated enthusiasm on your end often comes across as appropriate engagement to the listener.
- Video interviews require good facial expressions and active listening behaviors.
- In-person interviews benefit from natural smiling, leaning forward, and genuine conversational energy.
Demonstrating passion for the role goes beyond just saying you're interested. Reference specific aspects of the job description that excite you, ask follow-up questions that show you've thought deeply about the work, and share examples from your past that show you've genuinely enjoyed similar responsibilities.
#14. Failing to Follow Up After the Interview
Following up on a job application appropriately is a critical final step that many candidates skip entirely. However, employers view the follow-up as a test of genuine interest and professionalism.
Send a thank-you email within 24 hours of your interview. Reference specific topics you discussed, reiterate your interest in the role, and reinforce how your qualifications align with their needs. Keep it to 3-4 short paragraphs—this isn't the place for a cover letter.
If they said they'd make a decision "within two weeks," wait until that timeframe passes before checking in. If they gave you a specific timeline, respect it. A single, polite check-in after their stated timeline is professional; multiple emails or calls before that deadline makes you seem impatient and high-maintenance.
If you've followed up once and received no response, you can try one more time a week later with a brief note reiterating your interest. Beyond that, it's time to focus your energy elsewhere.
#15. Technical Difficulties in Virtual Interviews
Even though 70% of all Americans prefer in-person job interviews, virtual interviews have become standard practice, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, technical problems remain one of the most common reasons candidates make poor impressions.
Here’s what to avoid and how:
- Poor internet connection. Test your internet speed beforehand, and if it's questionable, consider using a wired Ethernet connection instead of WiFi. If that's not possible, position yourself as close to your router as practical, and ask household members not to stream video or download large files during your interview.
- Inadequate lighting. The best approach is positioning yourself facing a window or having a lamp in front of you at eye level rather than overhead lighting, which creates unflattering shadows.
- Background. Messy rooms, inappropriate posters, or anything distracting—pull attention away from you and raise questions about your judgment. Choose a neutral, tidy space, or use a subtle virtual background if your platform supports it well.
- Not testing your technology beforehand. Log into the platform before your scheduled time (use a friend or second device to test if possible). Check your camera angle, test your microphone and speakers, ensure your lighting is adequate, and confirm your background looks professional.
Overall, have contingency plans ready for common technical failures, e.g., backup internet options (mobile hotspot, nearby library, or coffee shop) if your home internet is unreliable.
4 Additional Interview Mistakes
Beyond the major mistakes above, there are several other errors that can damage your candidacy, such as:
- Bringing food or drinks into in-person interviews (except water, which is fine)
- Not bringing the necessary materials like extra resume copies or a portfolio
- Negotiating salary too early or being unprepared to discuss your requirements intelligently
- Being unprepared for different interview formats, such as panel interviews, group interviews, or case study presentations
What to Do If You Make a Mistake During an Interview
Acknowledge mistakes briefly and directly rather than ignoring them or making excuses. How to recover from common errors depends on what went wrong.
If you blank on a question, admit it honestly:
That's an excellent question, and I want to give you a thoughtful answer. Could we come back to that while I think about it?
Technical difficulties during virtual interviews require quick, calm problem-solving. If your video freezes, immediately suggest switching to the phone. This transformation of a problem into a solution demonstrates adaptability under pressure.
Minor mistakes—stumbling over a word, brief loss of train of thought, small factual error—are usually best left alone. Bringing extra attention to trivial errors makes them seem more significant. Save acknowledgment and correction for mistakes that actually impact the content of your answers or your perceived professionalism.
Follow-up strategies can sometimes mitigate interview mistakes. If you realize after the interview that you gave an incorrect piece of information or want to elaborate on an answer you feel you botched, your thank-you email provides an opportunity. Briefly acknowledge the issue and provide the correct information or fuller context. Just don't dwell on it—keep your focus primarily positive and forward-looking.
Final Thoughts
Interview mistakes are frustratingly common, but they're also remarkably preventable when you understand what they are and how to avoid them. Remember that preparation is always your best defense against interview errors. When you've researched the company, practiced your responses, planned your logistics, and thought through potential challenges, you approach interviews with confidence rather than anxiety.
Learning from mistakes is part of the process—every professional has bombed interviews or made errors they regretted. The difference between people who eventually land great jobs and those who don't is simple: the successful ones learned from their mistakes, improved their approach, and kept trying.
Lastly, remember that interviews are two-way evaluations. While you're working to avoid mistakes that cost you opportunities, also pay attention to how the company treats you throughout the process. Organizations that respect candidates, communicate clearly, and conduct professional interviews typically make better employers than those that don't.
Interview Mistakes FAQs
Ava Sinclair is the Founder of ResumeBuilder.so and a seasoned expert in HR and recruitment. As the driving force behind ResumeBuilder.so, Ava combines her expertise in recruitment and job-seeking strategies to empower job seekers with intuitive, high-impact resume-building tools.
