Kaitlin Madden,
You dry cleaned your suit. You've got a dozen copies of your résumé, just in case. You arrived early -- but not too
early. You silenced your cellphone. You made small talk with the
receptionist, and you're pretty sure the two of you will be best friends
one day. Now, you're about to confidently head into an interview for a
job you're dying to land.
Don't ruin it all by saying any of the following to your interviewer.
"My last boss was an idiot"
No
matter how terrible your last boss was, or how glad you are to be free
of your previous company, keep it to yourself. Not only will you look
immature and negative if you start griping, but you also never know whom
your interviewer is connected to. Your interviewer and your former boss
may be old fraternity brothers, for all you know.
"Do not gossip
or speak badly about anyone you've worked with or for, even if they're
currently serving time in state prison for what they did," says Gayl
Murphy, author of "Interview Tactics: How to Survive the Media without
Getting Clobbered." "Even if the [interviewer tries to] push you into
it. Remember, it's all a test. Be graceful and polite, you could be
talking about [his or her] brother-in-law."
"Yes." "Yes." "Yes." "No."
Unless
the interviewer asks you if you're so-and-so here for the nine-o'clock
interview, you shouldn't be using one-word answers. An interview is your
time to convince the employer that you have the qualifications for the
job. Even if the questions don't seem open-ended, answer them as if they
are. You don't need to drone on and on, but use every chance you get to
prove why you're the right person for the job.
"You want to use
as much color and detail as possible when describing your background,
experience and your professional journey, but without being long winded
because, in reality, it's about your skill set and your valuable
experience and expertise. Be specific: use names, dates and places,"
Murphy says.
"Let me tell you what I think about religion and politics ..."
Like
a first date, an interview is no time to bring up religion or politics.
If these touchy subjects can spark heated debates amongst even the
closest of friends, imagine what kind of argument you could get into
with a stranger.
"When being interviewed for a job, deciding what
to say and what to keep to your self has always been challenging,
especially since there are so many different opinions out there," says
Murphy. "[But] unless you're going for a job as a pastor or rabbi, it's
best to steer clear of religious tenets." Ditto for politics; unless
it's a key part of the job, it's best to avoid sharing political
opinions.
"Of course I know HTML coding/my way around China/the nuances of quantitative behavioral finance!"
An
interview is not the place to embellish your work or personal
experience. If an interviewer asks you about something you don't have
experience with, fess up and tell them how willing and able you are to
learn new things. If you claim to be something you're not, chances are
you'll be found out sooner or later ... maybe not during the interview
process, but when you find yourself lost in the middle of China a few
months after landing the job, your gig will be up.
"Don't make up
anything about what you've done that isn't true. It's too easy these
days to get busted for anything like that. And they are looking at
anything and everything," Murphy says.
"Hey man, do you want to grab a drink after this?"
No
matter how well you hit it off with your interviewer or how great your
conversation goes, your interviewer is not your friend -- even if you
find out you're both getting married on the same day or you're both
obsessed with college football. The relationship is still a professional
one, so resist the urge to spill too many personal or off-topic
details, or to start calling your interviewer "buddy," "girl," "hon" or
"man."
"Hahahaaaaa! AAAAAhaaahahaaa!"
Okay, so
someone cracked a joke. It's probable that in the duration of your
professional career, you'll come across an interviewer with a good sense
of humor. It's even okay to laugh at a joke made during the interview.
Just don't die laughing. No one looks professional with cackle-induced teary eyes, teeth and gums-a-blazing.
Should
you find yourself surpassing the point of no return in your fit of
laughter, take a deep breath, and think about how awful you'll feel if
you don't get the job. It may seem like a buzzkill, but there's a time
and a place for everything, including hysterics.
"I mean, I'm not THAT great"
Now
is not the time for modesty, false or otherwise. While you don't want
to come across like a used car salesman, you are there to sell yourself.
Or, as Murphy puts it, "Know in your bones you have an awesome
product." And don't be afraid to sell it.