I have been interviewing candidates for jobs in education sector for years. I have seen many people failed; I have seen all kinds of mistakes. But what are the most common errors that job seekers fail to recognize again and again?

Loser’s mindset

Many people come to an interview with a failure mentality. In every movement they do, in every word they say, you can see they do not believe their chances at all. Nobody likes losers. If you want to impress the employer and have any chance of succeeding, you must firstly believe in yourself. Remember, every interview is a new chance. It does not matter how many timer you failed before—recruiters do not know what happened in your past attempts. Every interview is a new chapter and you should approach it in this way. Don’t be defeated before the start of the battle.

Little research

In the era of online job boards and one-click job applications, people typically apply for countless jobs. They spend little time researching about the employer and do not adjust their application to particular requirements of the employment. But if you want to succeed, you will need to show some interest as well. . . . Smart applicants research about the company prior to the application and interview. They focus on company values, history, goals and visions. It would be very hard to answer some questions without having this knowledge.

Focusing on the interview answers only

Answers to interview questions represent the most decisive factor in hiring process. However, many job seekers forget completely on all the other aspects of success and blindly practice the answers only. Your non-verbal communication, references, personal recommendations, building the relationship with the recruiters. . . . All of it matters.  One ace in a sleeve won’t be enough in this competitive era.

Playing someone else

Recruiters get their salary for a reason. They know how to read a person, assess his strengths and weaknesses. It makes no sense to lie and try to fool them. Be who you are and believe what I say—honesty is a hard-sought quality nowadays, because it is rare. Surely, sometimes liars succeed in an interview. . . . But I won’t recommend you this technique because sooner or later you will have to show your true face. Nobody can hide the truth forever.

No follow-up

Most job seekers believe that the interview ends with the last question and answer. They go home and wait for the employer to make the call. However, I can tell you that passivity won’t take you anywhere. Following-up is not only about hearing the decision. It also shows the employer that you care, that you still want a job, that the result matters for you and that your mutual meeting wasn’t just one of many interviews you go to. Even a simple thank you note can help. Do not miss your chance of making a good last impression.