By Dave Johnson | CBS Money Watch - Tue, Feb 12, 2013
You can never be too prepared for a job interview -- you never know what minor element of your personality or presentation can make or break your chances. But while you maybe polished to a luster for the usual interview questions and your resume is gleaming, what about some of the other intangibles involved in getting hired?
After all, for better or for worse about a third of hiring managers assess candidates and make a hiring decision within the first 90 seconds or so. Fair? Of course no. But it does mean that it's critical to control those elements that aren't just about your previous job performance.
Recently, education research firm Classes and Careers published an interesting infographic that rolls up a slew of less obvious things that influence the hiring process.
For starters, there are a slew of nonverbal queues that hiring managers consider mistakes that can cost you the job. The most egregious one? Failure to make eye contact is at the top of the list. Other deal-breakers include failing to smile, bad posture and fidgeting.
In addition, your choice of clothing is important. More than half of hiring managers say that your choice of clothes can be the deciding factor when choosing among similar candidates. In particular, it can be a liability to dress too fashionably or trendy.
According to Classes and Careers, here are the 10 most common mistakes people make at job interviews:
10. Over-explaining why you lost your last job
9. Conveying that you're not over having lost your last job
8. Lacking humor, warmth or personality
7. Not showing enthusiasm or interest in the job
6. Inadequate research about the position or company
5. Concentrating on what you want rather than what the company needs
4. Trying to be all things to everyone
3. Winging the interview
2. Failing to set yourself apart from the other candidates
1. Not asking for the job
