5 easy mistakes to avoid during your next interview

If you want to stand out in an interview, Miguel Guerreiro, engineering manager at Jornaya, knows where to start — and what not to do.

At his NET/WORK Philly workshop on Tuesday afternoon, he gave some super simple resume and interview tips that could boost your chances of landing your dream job. Here’s what he covered:

Resumes

Guerreiro said to keep your resume clean and brief because less than 10% of the resumes a company reviews turn into phone screens. Your LinkedIn profile should show off your skills and match what’s on your resume. The best way for an employer to notice your profile is to keep it up to date. Ask for recommendations from peers to make your LinkedIn stand out.

Communication

Be a good and clear communicator. Guerreiro said to be aware of potentially easy mistakes to make like not specifying a.m. or p.m. when scheduling calls (and to be aware of time zones, if you’re talking to someone in another city). It’s also best to respond to emails within 24 hours.

Phone screens

Be prepared to talk about your expectations for the job. It is wise to have questions written down before starting, Guerreiro said. Go beyond salary-focused questions and ask about the culture of the company.

In-person interviews

Guerreiro says to be on time (but not too early) and know exactly what’s on your resume. As always, ask questions — but not ones that might be red flags or show that you don’t know much about the role, such as:

• Do you check references?
• What are the job requirements?
• What does this company do?
• Do you perform drug tests?

Coding questions

If you’re asked questions about coding, Guerreiro’s best tip is to think out loud: Talk about to how you solve a problem through code.

For more insight on this one, study up on these seven questions that local hiring managers ask during technical interviews.