Interview

After the initial rush of adrenaline that comes with being invited for an interview with your dream company, you have to be wary of what you say at the interview if you want to stand any chance at being employed. One wrong sentence or question is all you need to lose that opportunity so you have to be very careful. There are some things that you should not say during a job interview, regardless of how much you would like to share your opinion with the interviewer.

Since you usually won’t get a second chance once you have made a mistake and said something inappropriate or something that will make the interviewer think twice about hiring you, you have to be very careful to avoid such mistakes. Here’s a quick list of what not to verbalize in a job interview.

TOP 10 THINGS NOT TO SAY IN A JOB INTERVIEW

1. How much is the salary for this job? Don’t be the first to bring up salary, if you can help it. Mentioning pay can send the message that all you are after is money, an especially grave sin at the first meeting.

2. My boss was incompetent, a jerk, very wicked or anything else disparaging. Prospective employers will likely side with your current or previous supervisor and assume you will be difficult to manage. Never badmouth your boss

 

3. I’ll have your job when asked where you see yourself five years from now. Displaying confidence is a good thing, but overly cocky statements will not endear you to interviewers. Never tell the interviewer you see yourself above his position in the next 5 or 10 years.

4. I hate my job, perhaps in response to a question like why are you applying for a new position. A better approach is to emphasize why the new position is appealing and, when reflecting on your current job, to emphasize what you have learned and skills you have developed.

5. You look great: Avoid any comments that could be interpreted as flirtatious no matter how stunning your interviewer appears.

6. I’m not aware of any weaknesses when asked to share some shortcomings: Always be prepared to communicate some weaknesses; just make sure the quality is not central to the job. Sharing a historical weakness that you have worked towards improving can be an effective strategy.

7. Why have there been a decrease in salary at your company in the past months or years? A better angle would be to stay clear of anything sounding negative. Rather, frame your question more neutrally. For example: “In your view what are some of the biggest challenges which your company faces at this juncture”?

8. What is the working hours or how much vacation would I get? Save these types of questions until after you have been offered a position or the employer might question your motivation or work ethic. This question poses you as someone who is lazy.

 

 

 

9. You’ll regret it if you don’t hire me, I’m the most qualified: You can’t possibly know this unless you have met and evaluated all the other candidates. Overconfidence is a real turn off to employers.

10. I don’t have any questions for you: Prepare some questions to ask that build upon your company research or something which your interviewer has shared with you. Another approach is to ask the interviewer a question about their experience with the organization, such as: “What do you enjoy most about working at XYZ Company”?

 

Wish you success in your next interview.

… to your success
McTimothy Associates Team.
Follow us on
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn