How to fail a job interview in 5 minutes

The first Casino Job Fair UA took place in Kyiv on 30 June. Talentgrator guests were able to immerse themselves in the world of iGaming and get information about current vacancies and career opportunities from key market players. We want to thank the event’s participants at our booth for the pleasure of meeting them and their interest in the project!

Talentgrator guests were able to immerse themselves in the world of iGaming and get information about current vacancies and career opportunities from key market players. We want to thank the event’s participants at our booth for the pleasure of meeting them and their interest in the project!

For those who didn’t have a chance to listen to General Manager Talentgrator Marina Zapolskaya’s lecture live, we collected the main recommendations from her presentation “How to fail a job interview in 5 minutes”.

Read our harmful tips and don’t try to repeat it by yourself 🙂

1. Don’t come to the interview / don’t answer the recruiter

You may change your mind about having an interview at company N, or you may have an emergency, but be sure to let them know. Companies keep the recruitment process in various ATS (Applicant tracking system) and record every contact with the candidate and their status. Major job search sites also allow the recruiter to indicate a comment on the candidate’s profile such as “didn’t attend the interview”, this will be retained and may affect the company’s communication process with you in the future.

It doesn’t take more than 2 minutes to send a message or make a call, but ignoring a recruiter can cut you off from the company for a long time.

2. Failing to take care of your appearance

A seemingly obvious point, but in times when 90% of interviews occur online, many people have begun to forget about their appearance because they are at home. There are other distractions: smoking during the interview, unkempt backdrops, horrible sound, or a glaring screen. Making a good impression in such conditions becomes more difficult.

Even if you are interviewing from home, dress appropriately and take care of the background and silence to focus as much as possible on the recruiter’s questions and make the interview comfortable for everyone involved.

3. Don’t anticipate technical problems

Situations can be different: a power outage, no internet, a dead battery…

Prepare for the online meeting in advance, check your devices, make a Skype check-call, ensure your headphones and microphone are working, and make sure your devices will be sufficiently charged in the next hour. In a no-strings-attached situation, let the recruiter know and reschedule the meeting. In a no-strings-attached situation, let the recruiter know and reschedule the meeting.

We recommend that you arrange an additional communication channel with the recruiter in advance in case there are technical problems (phone/messenger interviews)

4. Failing to tell your story

Often at the self-presentation stage, candidates start their story when they enter university or talk about their most recent travels or family. Try not to go too far and make a summary of your achievements, interests, and successes in previous projects. Avoid discussing ‘toxic’ employers and negative feedback about previous jobs.

Your self-presentation skills, and your ability to express yourself succinctly and focus on the essentials, are not the only things that count in your story.

5. Don’t find out about the company beforehand

If you didn’t take the time to get to know general information about the company and don’t know where you are going to the interview shows that you are not interested in the position and that you were careless in your preparations.

When agreeing to an interview, take time to look at the company website and research the position in depth. This will help set you up from the start to communicate positively with the employer and set you apart from other applicants.

6. Don’t remember your CV

Making a good-looking and competent CV is only 50% of success; the other 50% is knowing how to present yourself. Be ready to answer about your cases and projects that you are proud of. Don’t stray from the information on your resume.

Replying to a recruiter with “all the information you need is on CV” does not encourage further dialogue. It is also strange if a candidate is confused about dates, company names, or positions on their CV.

7. Using professional jargon “out of context”.

Specialized terminology in your field is acceptable, but don’t go overboard with professional jargon in your speech.

8. Not answering questions directly

Trying to evade questions may lead the recruiter to believe that you are hiding something or are not in the mood for open communication.

Keep your answers short and to the point; this will help you to build a productive dialogue and save both your time and the recruiter’s time.

9. Don’t underestimate the recruiter!

A recruiter may not know all the details of your specialization, but that doesn’t mean you should resort to deception, trying to confuse by using professional terms and definitions or phrases like “you’re not a specialist, how can I explain you…?”

A candidate trying to deceive the recruiter is given off by general phrases that are not constructive and do not directly answer the question.

10. Not stating the level of salary you expect

70% of candidates we talk to cannot answer the question about the desired salary. Recruiters often hear such questions as “How much does the vacancy say?”, “How much can you offer?”

To adequately assess yourself, your time and work will help you receive only the best offers and choose the most comfortable working conditions for yourself.

The Talentgrator team is on the lookout for talent 24/7!

If you are open to new opportunities, fill in our form, and we’ll contact you!