Last night was the season premier of American Idol. I’ve always been fascinated by the show because it is like watching one really long job interview unfold over several months. Every season, contestants make the same classic interview mistakes. Here are a few of the more painful ones to watch.
- Expecting job interest to make up for lack of experience. How many times have we heard a contestant say “If you just put me through to the next round, I won’t disappoint you. I will work hard and I know I can meet your expectations.” But these contestants, like job seekers, rarely get through to the next round unless they can quickly prove during round one that they are a good fit for the position and that they have transferable skills and relevant success stories.
- Failure to research the company. One of my favorite questions that Simon Cowell asks is “Have you seen this show before?” He asks this to people who appear clueless regarding the level of the competition and the expectations for future American Idols based on the caliber of their predecessors. Likewise, job seekers need to understand the history and culture of the organization they are interviewing with to determine the likelihood of meeting their selection criteria and being perceived as a good fit.
- Confusion over the job role. Every year there are always a few contestants that are dancers, comedians, or actors…but not singers. They basically ignore the job description and go into the audition showing off what they can do, even if it is incongruous to what the judges are looking for. I see this same tactic used in the job search world…it manifests itself as the job seeker who applies to any position, regardless of the position’s relevance to their skill set. This strategy rarely works and it can damage your credibility as a legitimate candidate. If you are applying for specific opportunities, you should only apply to those where your skill set matches numerous requirements as specified on the job posting.
- Inappropriate dress. Last night a girl showed up for the audition in a bikini to be different, garner attention from the judges, and possibly distract them from her mediocre voice. While it’s true that she got through (Randy and Simon couldn’t say no) I don’t expect her to last past round two. During an interview, you want to be remembered for what you said, not for what you wore.