Interview Mistakes, and How to Bounce Back

Bruce Bozzi Jr. was born with restaurant management in his blood. His great-grandfather opened The Palm Restaurant in 1926, and today Bruce serves as the Executive Vice President for the thirty Palms around the globe. “I have always taken my job very seriously,” he explains. “But I’ve always had a lot of fun with it. Work is a place you should enjoy.” 

On Friday, February 8, Bruce, as well as Palm co-Owner and co-Chairman Wally Ganzi and General Manager of Palm Too Janice Steil, will appear in the series premier of The Job, airing on CBS at 8pm EST. In the episode, Bruce interviews candidates and puts them through elimination challenges before hiring one as an assistant manager at The Palm. Below, he shares some of the most common interview mistakes he has seen from potential employees over the years, and how to bounce back from them. 

Mistake #1: Not nailing the first impression. “Hiring managers make many decisions within the first 60 seconds of meeting someone, so you have to make it count,” Bruce reveals. They notice everything from the strength of your handshake to the condition of your teeth. Though superficial, the amount of time you put into yourself is indicative of how much time you will put into the job. If you oversleep and can’t do your makeup or if your cell phone rings halfway through, your chances may not be totally ruined. But if you are lucky enough to land a second interview, you have zero wiggle room. 

Mistake #2: Not being prepared. “An interview is a two-way process. As much as I am interviewing someone, she should be interviewing me to see if this is a place where she would want to work.” If you don’t know the history of the company, the key players involved, and haven’t prepared interesting questions to ask about the position, don’t expect a call back. “If you don’t come prepared, it’s obvious. I would walk out of the interview and say to myself that this person is not interested.”

Mistake #3: Not having an objective. “Getting the job is the result, not the objective. The objective is to have a good interview,” Bruce stresses. If you are too focused on the job, your nerves will get the best of you, and things may start to head south. If you’re stumbling over answers, ask to take a minute to collect yourself and start over. If you fail to notice before the interview is over, “send a hand-written note expressing your appreciation of the interviewer’s time and acknowledging that it wasn’t your best interview. If it’s something you really want, you don’t give up.”

Mistake #4: Not minding your manners. You want to exude confidence during your interview, but it may come across as aggression. Avoid common mistakes such as talking too much, interrupting the interviewer, and not giving direct answers to questions. The worst offense you can commit? Lying on your resume. It’s indicative of your character, and you’ll never see the inside of an office if you get caught. Instead, keep your energy high, be yourself, and have a sense of humor.

–Lindsay Putnam