5 Don’ts for Job Interviews

So you hit the end call button; you just landed an interview for a job you have been eying and you are stoked. A million things are rushing through that noggin of yours.   What to wear or say or do……oh and who to call of course because who doesn’t like delivering exciting news? Ok so before you go into thought overload let’s decipher some, not so bright ideas that will definitely nail a job opportunity shut with no hope for tomorrow.  So without further ado here are 5 ways you can definitely…eek! … BOMB a job interview.  

First, DONT go into the interview not knowing anything about the company. Know what you applied for, be familiar with the position or where your intentions are with this opportunity. No employer is going to want to hire you if you could care less or know nothing about who they are. Educate yourself on what you could potentially be getting yourself involved with. Research the company, the position and align your expectations and standards realistically. Otherwise, you could be wasting their and your own time.

Second, DON’T answer with only a yes or no when asked questions. You don’t want to sound like a robot, you want to express who you are in this interview and portray to the employer what you are bringing to the table. But also don’t ramble on and on without a solid answer to the question. I understand that we get nervous in interviews, it is normal, but get a firm grip on your emotions and be confident about what you are about and who you are. Attitude is everything!  You want to set a dialogue for the interview, not give a rambling monologue.

Third, DON’T leave your phone on during the interview. No one cares to hear or see notifications about how many ‘likes’ you just received on Facebook for the adorable picture of you and your new adopted pal or if you just acquired a bunch of followers on Instagram . And of course please, please, please DO NOT answer your phone during a job interview.  Some people do need to learn a thing or two about phone etiquette and during an interview answering your phone would fall under the ‘NOPE!  Don’t do it.” list.   

Fourth, DON’T bad mouth your former employers to the interviewer. As a matter of fact don’t bad mouth anyone, (tisk, tisk), but especially in an interview, just don’t do it. It’s never a good idea and is a bad first impression and portrays bad character. You want to put your best self forward in an interview; it shows pride, good character and integrity. And yes I get it, we sometimes want an ex employer to take a proverbial pie to the face, but express that in your blog , or over a cup of Joe, drink, or rant it out with your boyfriend/girlfriend/friends, just not during an interview.  Because to be honest, as a rule of thumb in life if you give the impression that you commonly talk bad about people, they will learn to know you will do it to them as well and no one really values that type of trait in a person.  Just saying.

Fifth, DON’T make it all about you. Save some of your self-serving questions for later if you get the job. You want to land the job first, not interrogate the employer probing them for answers to questions as, what the pay and benefits are like and how flexible they are with altering the set advertised work schedule the position requires. To be honest, you should have researched some of these questions when you were applying for the position so that you knew in the first place. Hence, see tip #1. Weigh out the pros and cons and again, be familiar with what the company has to offer. Educate yourself as much as you can prior so that you do not have to ask these questions in an initial interview.  I mean yes this is all probably common sense to some, but you would be surprised how many times I’ve sat across the table interviewing individuals where they are adamant about what would benefit them without even landing the position first!   Talk about an over confident, self-absorbed and unattractive quality in a qualifying candidate. Next!

Job interviews can be tricky, but really the key is to understanding what the employer wants and how to present yourself. Know what they will ask you and know what you will tell them. Present the best version of you, know your stuff, take it seriously and give it your all.  The majority of successful job interviews is honestly all about attitude.  So congratulations to you on completing that degree and good job on all of your hard work ….now go out and nail it!

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