10 Reasons Why We Fail to Crack any Job Interview

We all think job applications are just about blasting a well written CV all over Linkedin, Naukri and all kinds of job portals we enlisted ourselves on.

Congrats, you got a call from 5 out of the 20 companies you applied for. But what do we actually do to prepare for the interview?

Here are 10 reasons why we usually don't make the cut:

1. Negative Body language: The primary scanning that happens the moment you step into the room is your level of confidence. The smallest gestures and movements can tell the recruiter a lot about you - including your personality traits or even the level of interest you actually have for the job! Your body language is everything. Read more on : http://bit.ly/2wwDyWD and be a pro at controlling your body language in order to make the best first impression.

2. Lack of knowledge regarding the company: A common trick to know how interested you are in the job is to ask you basic questions about the company you have applied for - and the easiest way to go about it is do a quick research about the company to know its vision, activities and if you're really ready to up your game, do some competitor study (if any) as well!

3. Being aggressive: It's absolutely okay to put your point across - but arguing is NOT a pretty move for the recruiter. People often confuse it with showing confidence but in reality - it really rubs the recruiter in a wrong way. Be polite and use words like "I understand...but as far as I know..." or "That is an interesting perspective, but in my experience.." and then gently put your point forward.

4. Don't agree with everything: Sometimes, you have to be smart enough to understand whether the recruiter WANTS to hear a new perspective from you - and this can really be the winning card when played right. Yes-men are never on top of their list.

5. Getting nervous about trick questions: When the weirdest of questions are thrown at you, you'll know that the recruiters are just doing their job. When confronted with an ambiguity - DO NOT get nervous or fidgety. Sometimes there is no right answer to this - so just give it your best shot and handle it with common sense.

6. "Tell me something about yourself": Often the opening questions, try not to bore the panel with a narration of your CV - they can read that straight from the paper! Showcase your interests, thoughts, personality and use this window to actually show who you are beyond the paper.

7. "Tell me about your weaknesses": Try showcasing weaknesses which do not affect your profile too much. Factors like short temper or introvert (especially for a sales or communication oriented profile) will not work well. In these cases, use more generic or entertaining ones like "lack of control on diet" which brings a smile on their face and at the same time - does not affect your chances of bagging the job.

8. Technical knowledge: Despite experience, a little bit of brushing up never hurts the night before you face the panel - if your profile demands it. No matter how shiny your persona is, you have to know how to do your job - really really well!

9. "What's your salary expectation?": Now here comes the tricky (and the most dreaded) part. You're never really sure what will go down well with them. Prepare yourself and prioritise certain factors before you put forward a slab. Is the brand really important? Will your future growth be almost guaranteed? If yes, play it safe and quote a normal hike.

10. Don't bore them! : Always keep in mind that the recruiters (especially of bigger companies) speak to 100+ candidates everyday and most of what you say may have already come to them from others. What do you do to stand out? Smile and incorporate wit, humour and conversation that drive them to get to know you more. Be the breath of fresh air they are looking out for along with your skill set - without diluting the seriousness of the context.

A good conversation goes a long, long, way in helping you cracking the code - professionally and otherwise :)