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Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, and it's easy to make mistakes that could potentially harm your chances of landing the job. Here are three of the most common mistakes I see job seekers make when it comes to job interviews.

Lack of preparation

My top tip for job interviews is to over prepare. Preparation will help to decrease the anxiety you feel about the job interview, and it will increase your confidence. It’s the best way to tackle your nerves, and it will help you perform well in the moment.

How do you prepare?

Research the company and the position. Read the company’s website, social media accounts, press releases and any news stories.

See if you know anyone who works there. Search the company on LinkedIn to see if you have any connections. This is also a good way to find out who the hiring manager is if you don’t already know.

Think about what questions you may be asked and develop talking points to answer them. Then practice those answers out loud. You want to be very comfortable talking about your past jobs, accomplishments and why you want this role.

Some questions you’ll likely be asked (at a minimum):

• Tell me about yourself.

• What led you to apply for the role?

• Why are you the best person for this job?

• What are your strengths/weaknesses?

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Lack of specific examples

The job interview is the time to make your case about why you are the best person for the job. One of the best ways to do this is to think ahead of time of some example stories you can tell that demonstrate the value you bring. You want to use your answers to showcase how your skills and experiences align with the specific job requirements.

This means your communication skills need to be on point! It is helpful if you can think about examples of your skills or accomplishments ahead of time and structure them using the STAR method (or some other framework) to answer them succinctly.

I’ve explained the STAR method in a previous post. It is a way to organize the facts of your story so that it flows well – and it helps you remember the points you want to make.

Another popular structure is PAR (problem, action, result). In this method you state the problem you were facing, the actions you took, and the results that followed.

The important thing is that you have some stories you can tell that provide an example of your skills in action and the accomplishments you were able to achieve.

Lack of Asking Questions

At the end of most interviews, you'll be given the opportunity to ask questions. This is a crucial part of the interview. Yes, it may seem like things are wrapping up, but this is a time in the interview when you can shine.

Some employers see not asking any questions as a lack of interest or engagement. But even if that is not the case with your interviewer, you still want to take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions.

Prepare thoughtful questions about the role, the company culture, the team dynamics, or any recent developments. Not only does this show interest, but it opens the door to further conversation where you can continue to communicate the value you will bring to the role.

Don’t rush this portion of the interview! Asking thoughtful questions will set you apart in a great way!

What should you ask?

Here are some of my favorite questions:

• What does a typical day in this role look like?

• What qualities will make someone in this role successful?

• What are the biggest challenges the department has faced in the last few months?

• How would you describe the company’s culture?

• What do you enjoy most about working for this organization?

• What excites you most about the company’s future?

Asking questions can also give you a glimpse into the company culture and the team dynamics. These are important aspects of the job that you will want to know, so the more you can learn the better!