Much as you are anxious to pick the job when you attend an interview, you must realise that the prospective employer, through its interview panel, is looking for the best candidate it can get. They are also looking to quickly identify those who clearly do not fit in. You're big mistake will be to do anything that will easily classify you in the latter group. That quickly puts you out of the race and puts paid to your aspiration for that job. To be sure that doesn't happen to you, you must remain smart and avoid providing the panel any ammunition to nail you. Key areas where candidates often slip are listed here for your guidance.

1. Evidence of Unpreparedness Or Unseriousness
The panel obviously wants to see that you are not only serious about getting the job but also have a natural attitude of taking important matters seriously. Your preparedness for the interview should be apparent. When you fail to bring requested documents (say your credentials), you cast a shadow. You omit to follow the guidelines, for instance, by not completing the job application form, you raise their antennae. More slips may confirm the suspicion of a slipshod pattern and mark you down.

2. Sign of Dishonesty
No employer will deliberately go for a clearly dishonest candidate, so you ruin your prospects when there is a clear manifestation of dishonesty. If you claim you resigned from your last employment but can't produce a copy of your resignation letter, and under further questioning, admit that your were actually sacked for an infraction, it becomes difficult to show you are honest. This may cost you the position.

3. Poor Dressing And Appearance
The interview is not about your appearance or dressing, but serious shortcomings in those areas will raise concerns about your personality and fitness for the job. After all, if you are employed, you become a representative of the company. The interview panel will be disenchanted by an unkempt, untidy appearance or shabby dressing. While the idea is not to go for designer clothes, what you wear should reflect smartness and a sense of responsibility.

4. Points That Don't Jell
Candidates try sometimes to be smart without realising that the interviewers too have brains. They provide information that doesn't jell and so create doubt over their integrity. For instance, an age-limit is specified for a position and a candidate who is not quallified manipulates his records to fit in. Some times the implication of the adjustments will be that the person commenced school at an age when he would be sucking breast milk.A quick review highlights this and easily throws him into some crises which he is not likely to emerge successfully from.

5. Inability To Communicate
The least that should be expected is that you will do your best to sell yourself to the panel. When communication clearly fails and you are unable to put your position across, this proves quite damaging. Granted that certain lapses could be put down to fright and anxiety, beyond a level of tolerance, you miss the mark and are not likely to survive it. Being able to put your views across will therefore be vital to your success.

6. Discourteous Behaviour
Acting boldly is different from being clearly discourteous and the latter could easily cost you the job. An unruly reaction to a question that simply aims at eliciting relevant facts relating to information on your resume will not be appropriate. Abandoning the interview to answer your phone may not please the panel. Lack of decorum will therefore play strongly against you as no organisation wants to attract wild employees.

7. Discrediting Your Past Employer
The logic is simple: what you do to your past employer, you are likely to do to us. Running down your current or past employer to score a point before a prospective employer is likely to backfire and cost you the chance. Focus on how you qualify for the new position you seek and sacrificing your past employer is not a good way to advance that goal. It will only paint you as irresponsible and unworthy of trust.

Any of the listed errors will diminish your prospect of getting the position you are gunning for. As part of the house-keeping effort of your interview process, resolve not to fall prey to any of these lapses. That way, you will not weaken your effort and if other factors work well, who knows, you may be picking the job.

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