Do not emphasize your weaknesses

7. Do not emphasize your weaknesses

A job interview is not a competition in humility. You want to stick to the truth, it is true, but you also want to present yourself in the best light possible and to get the job you are applying for. Therefore you need to strike a balance between self-praise and humility so as not to appear either too self-confident or too humble. Refrain from presenting yourself only in superlatives; firstly, it does not look good in a petitioner, secondly – your interviewer is only a human being and may perceive you as a competition for him- or herself. On the other hand, do not stress your weaknesses: no company wants losers among its staff. You will most probably be asked a question on your weak point or a professional failure; prepare an answer to such a question in advance so that you are not caught by surprise, but remember to accentuate rather positive than negative aspects, for example, saying that the professional failure taught you to rely more on your team or to seek advice more thoroughly. Thus you show your interviewer that you have drawn conclusions from a mistake you made and are not only not likely to make the same mistake again, but also that you learn from all mistakes and hence are a valuable asset.

8. Do not ask about salary too early

Remember, it is not you who directs the interview. You are to answer the questions of the interviewer and present yourself in the best light possible: this

also involves NOT asking about financial issues too early yourself. First of all, you do not want to create an impression that the money is the only thing of interest to you. If you are given a chance to ask questions, ask about details relating to the company, about the scope of tasks assigned to you in case you are offered the job, etc.; in short, show yourself as an enthusiastic and interested person and that you consider the potential of professional development in the company you are aspiring for. After all, if all you care about is money, your potential employer may decide not to take you on because you might decide at any time to go with the competition for a few dollars more. This is NOT the impression you want to make. Instead, wait until the topic of salary is brought up by your interviewer. If it is not, do not despair; sometimes financial matters are not brought up during the first interview.