Top Interview Mistakes Millennials Make and Quick Fixes

Top Interview Mistakes Millennials Make and Quick Fixes Top Interview Mistakes Millennials Make and Quick Fixes 6 The era of workplace flexibility presents unique new challenges to job applicants, and Millennials in particular face their own job search hurdles over negative labels and attitudes about their generation. This combination of factors means Millennials must find smarter ways to sell themselves to employers. But in fact, research shows that Millennials are sabotaging their job search by making simple mistakes during the first impression. Let’s take a look at the top five interview mistakes Millennials make (according to the Adecco Staffing Mature Worker Survey) and some simple, five-minute fixes: Millennial Mistake #1: Dressing inappropriately About 75 percent of Millennials lose out on jobs just because they’re not putting on proper interview attire. Unfortunately, first impressions happen in seconds, and not everyone’s going to be on board with your stilettos or yellow dress socks. Quick fix: put on a suit and tie. Create a simple, neutral, conservative suit-and-tie outfit, and make this your go-to attire for every interview. Win the interviewer over with your personality and skills first, and then slowly sneak your favorite eye-catching accessories into your wardrobe once you score the job. Millennial Mistake #2: Posting NSFW social media content Nearly 70 percent of Millennial applicants get passed over for jobs because their social media profiles come across as offensive, negative, or incoherent. Quick fix: clean up your social media profiles. For a quick fix, log into your social media profile through an app like SimpleWash, which can search and find questionable content in seconds for you to review and delete. In the long run, you also need to adapt some best practices for yourself, like restricting privacy for photos and regularly reviewing tags. Millennial Mistake #3: Not asking enough questions Perhaps this is partly why Millennials get labeled as entitled and lazy: 60 percent don’t prepare questions for the interviewer. Quick fix: master strong interview questions. Ultimately, you need to thoroughly research the company you’re interviewing with to demonstrate your knowledge and preparation, but you can memorize generic questions to use in a pinch so you don’t leave the interviewer with crickets and silence. Millennial Mistake #4: Poor writing Roughly 46 percent of Millennials miss out on job opportunities because they lack basic writing skills. Even if a digital infographic-style resume and creative video cover letter landed an interview, at some point Millennials need to be able to write. Colleagues don’t want to interpret text lingo, and companies want new hires to professionally represent them in external emails. Quick fix: plug your writing into apps for instant feedback. Before you send anything, copy and paste your resume, cover letter, and correspondence into writing and editing apps. Some identify passive voice and complex phrases, and others highlight repetitive phrases and score your readability. When you can’t phone a friend, these handy tools instantly bolster your writing (and job candidacy). Millennial Mistake #5: Lacking long-term commitment Even companies hiring flex workers and telecommuters want the employees they invest time and resources into recruiting and training to stick around for a while. About 46 percent of Millennials show they won’t. Quick fix: get excited! Intangible commitment seems harder to demonstrate, but you can actually turn this mistake around in seconds just by changing your attitude. Who seems more committed to a job than a worker showing enthusiasm for the tasks, mission, or company? Preparation, professionalism, and passion go a long way in assuring the interviewer you’re motivated to get the job done and grow with the company. Readers, what interview mistakes are you guilty of? Learn more about how to find, get, and keep a job you actually want in the totally free Millennials Career Guide ebook. Ashley Speagle lives in Atlanta and works as a communications specialist for PGi, a leading global provider of collaboration software and services for over 20 years. PGi is constantly innovating, developing new technologies to make virtual meetings easier and more productive than ever before. Learn more at PGi’s blog, The Future of Business Collaboration.