Hiring managers don't want to hear a lot of things during an
interview – confessions of a violent past, a cell phone ring, a toilet
flush. Yet job seekers have committed these interview gaffes and worse,
according to CareerBuilder annual survey of the worst interview
mistakes.
Odd behavior isn't the only way to ruin your
chances of landing a job. When hiring managers were asked to name the
most common and damaging interview mistakes a candidate can make, 51
percent listed dressing inappropriately. Forty-nine percent cited
badmouthing a former boss as the worst offense, while 48 percent said
appearing disinterested. Arrogance (44 percent), insufficient answers
(30 percent) and not asking good questions (29 percent) were also top
answers.
To ensure your interview is smooth and error-free, follow these five tips:
Do some research:
When you walk into a job interview, knowledge of the company's history,
goals and current activity proves to the interviewer that you are not
only prepared for the interview, but also that you want to be a part of
the organization.
Don't lie: If the
conversation drifts to a topic you're not knowledgeable about, admit you
don't know the answer and then explain how you would go about finding a
solution. Displaying your problem-solving skills is better than
babbling about something you don't understand.
Keep it professional:
Although interviewers often try to create a comfortable setting to ease
the job seeker's nerves, business decorum shouldn't disappear. Avoid
offering personal details that can be controversial or have no relevance
to the position, such as political and religious beliefs or stories
about a recent break-up.
Know what to expect:
Expect to hear staple interview questions: "What's your biggest
weakness?" "Why do you want to work here?" "Tell me about yourself."
"Why did you leave your last job?" These open-ended questions are harder
to answer than they sound, so think about your responses before the
interview.
Put on a happy face: The
interview is not the time to air your grievances about being wronged by a
past boss. How you speak about a previous employer gives the hiring
manager an idea of how you'll speak about him or her once you've moved
on.
Unfortunately, many job seekers are not only ignoring
these tips, they're making mistakes that leave unforgettable impressions
for all the wrong reasons. Here are 10 real-life examples from this
year's survey:
- Candidate answered cell phone and asked the interviewer to leave her own office because it was a "private" conversation.
- Applicant told the interviewer he wouldn't be able to stay with the job long because he thought he might get an inheritance if his uncle died and his uncle wasn't "looking too good."
- The job seeker asked the interviewer for a ride home after the interview.
- The applicant smelled his armpits on the way to the interview room.
- Candidate said she could not provide a writing sample because all of her writing had been for the CIA and it was "classified."
- Candidate told the interviewer he was fired for beating up his last boss.
- When the applicant was offered food before the interview, he declined saying he didn't want to line his stomach with grease before going out drinking.
- An applicant said she was a "people person" not a "numbers person" – in her interview for an accounting position.
- During a phone interview the candidate flushed the toilet while talking to hiring manager.
- The applicant took out a hair brush and brushed her hair.
Source: careerbuilder