3 things you're doing wrong in first-round interviews (and how to avoid them)
Saying too much. Being presumptive. Winging it.
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Today, I will teach you the three most common errors candidates make in first-round interviews — so you can avoid them.
Most online content focuses on telling you what you should do to pass an interview.
Sometimes, I find it easier to know what not to do.
When paired with the earlier parts of the Debugging Your Job Search series, you’ll have all the tools you need to:
✅ check the green boxes for interviewers
🚦pass GO
⏭ get yourself into a final-round interview
Let’s dive in.
First round interviews are not comprehensive (by design)
About 50% of the clients who came to me after failing first-round interviews failed due to winging it, and the other 50% failed due to mistakes made by over-preparing.
If you’re not passing at least one in every 3 first-round interviews, I’m confident you are making one of these 3 errors:
Common mistake #1: Trying to Squeeze EVERYTHING in (at once)
When candidates over-prepare, they create a situation where they know too much — about their own experiences, the open role, the company, etc.
When they inevitably get nervous, all of this information comes tumbling out.
They start overstuffing the interview with information, details, and going down rabbit holes — rather than answering the interview questions concisely.
I call this disruptive garrulousness.
(Trust me: I know better than most. I tend to talk too much when I’m nervous!)
SWE caveat: if your first-round interview is a technical screen, ie coding or system design, this whoopsie may not apply. Skip this one and go on to Whoopsie #2.
Signs that this is the issue
Look at how many questions the interviewer is able to ask you during the interview.
It should be at least 1 question per 8-10 minutes of scheduled interview time (the low end is for shorter interviews, and the high end of the range applies to longer interviews). That means:
for a 30 minute interview: at least 3 questions
for a 45 minute interview: at least 5 questions
for a 60 minute interview: at least 7 questions
This includes the intro and outtro questions, ie “tell me about yourself” and “why are you interested in this role or company?”
What you’re doing wrong
Put simply: you’re talking too much.
You’re probably trying to stuff keywords and experiences to hit every single possible requirement or goal you believe they may have for the role.
How to fix it
Knowledge is power (and permission to talk less).
If you read TCW #016 “How to Throw Green Flags, not Red Flags (in Job Interviews),” you know that first-round interviews focus on learning if the candidate is:
Qualified (for the 1-2 most critical skills and role requirements)
Interested (in the job/company)
Available (ready to make a move and take a new role)
a Fit (culturally)
Knowing that first-round interviews are more of a filter / screening step than a comprehensive skill assessment can give you the freedom to answer the questions without acting like it’s your one and only chance to disclose everything about your candidacy.
Focus on answering their questions concisely — and avoid trying to overstuff your interview.
Repeat after me: I do not have to share everything with the interviewer on the first date interview.
Common mistake #2: Acting like You’ve Already Landed the Job
Interviewers try to make sure you’re comfortable (and not nervous), but you need to make sure you’re not getting too comfortable.
Interviewers can get thrown off (in a bad way) when candidates get ahead of themselves and act like they believe they’ve already landed the job.
Signs that this is the issue
The best way to tell this is happening is to ask yourself if you would speak or act this way if you were interviewing with your future senior executive (your boss’s boss+).
What you’re doing wrong
You may be acting a bit too comfortable if you find yourself:
speaking as though you’ve known the interviewer longer than the 0-60 minutes since you got into the interview (“well, you know what I mean” or other body language or phrases you’d use with someone with more history or context).
asking hygiene questions (ie about the salary, role location, equipment, perks and benefits, 401k match, working hours, promotions and performance review process, etc.)
getting ahead of yourself by acting as though you’re on the job and starting projects — (“we’ll do this and then we can do that and then we’ll have to think about this other thing….”) — there’s a fine line between showing that you’re willing to get in the trenches with the interviewer and using language as though you assume you’ve got the job.
How to fix it
My advice: act consummately professional, no matter what the interviewer says or does.
It’s the reason that flight attendants always wear suit-like uniforms — the airline is saying to you, “you may be in old sweatpants or Hawaiian shirts on your way to vacation, but we’re staying vigilant and taking this flight seriously.”
As someone who has interviewed over 1100 people, I will tell you: there’s something very comforting about candidates behaving with consummate professionalism.
It definitely affects my perception of them as a potential future colleague.
So, channel your inner flight attendant and keep it professional in every interview.
Treat the interviewer warmly…but as a new acquaintance. Keep them at a professional distance.
Use common business language (avoid slang, insider acronyms, or colloquialisms)
Don’t ask hygiene questions until you have an offer. Read more about this common red flag in TCW #016.
Common mistake #3: Winging It
While knowing that first-rounds are more filters than true assessments can be freeing, you have to avoid swinging the opposite direction — going in blindly.
50% of my clients come to me after winging it and getting poor results or inconsistent results in their job searches.
Signs that this is the issue
You’re spending less than an hour preparing for each of your first-round interviews.
What you’re doing wrong
The issue with winging it is that the talent market is unforgiving right now. It’s an employer’s market, not a candidate’s market.
You need to put in the effort (because other candidates are, trust me).
How to fix it
The good news is that you don’t have to treat interview prep like a full-time job!
I’ve written extensively on my Minimum Viable Interview Prep (MVIP) system for first-round interview prep, please check that out if you’re refreshing your interview skills.
Here’s how long you can take to prepare efficiently for a first-round interview, with links to deeper dive posts and guided walkthroughs to teach you how to do each one: