Do you ever feel like you are walking into a landmine every time you go to a job interview? This is a natural reaction, since anything you do or say can lower your chances of landing the job. Yet, you can easily gain your confidence back by knowing ahead of time what information you want to share or keep to yourself. To help you, here are the top things to never say in a job interview if you want to land the job.
- What does the company do?
This question shows the hiring manager that you are not interested in the company. Interviewers expect you to be curious enough to research and learn about the company’s industry, goals, and close competitors. Your disinterest will be interpreted as a lack of commitment towards the organization and the hiring manager will rule you out.
- What is the job?
Similar to the the previous question, this shows a lack of preparedness and interest. In fact this question is even worse because it communicates that you did not read the job description and applied blindly. Interviewers expect you to have a general knowledge of the role and to only provide information that you wouldn’t have been able to research yourself.
- I do not know
If you want to land a job, you need to give concrete and smart answers to any questions that are asked of you. The inability to answer tough questions show a lack critical thinking and problem solving skills, both qualities that all employers seek in candidates. Instead of avoiding answering questions ask for a couple of seconds to formulate an answer or for more information.
- Filler words
Filler words communicate unease and a lack of communication skills. Using too many filler words can easily show a lack of professionalism or even worse annoy the hiring manager. Instead of using filler words take pauses while talking for a more sophisticated tone.
- Badmouthing your boss
You should never badmouth your previous employer even if they were the only reason why you left your job. The main reason to avoid this is because it always sounds negative and gives a bad impression. Your main goal in every interview is to keep a positive environment where the interviewer can trust you as a professional; and there isn’t a more effective way to ruin that than speaking negatively of others.
- Inquiring about vacation, salary, or benefits
The goal of the first interview is to see if you and the employer are compatible, not to negotiate. While vacation, salary, or benefits are important aspects of any job it is always best to wait until you are confident that you are one of the top candidates to ask questions in these topics.
- I do not have questions
In every interview you will have the opportunity to ask questions. Always take notes during the interview and prepare questions ahead of time for the hiring manager. If you fail to ask insightful questions you will communicate a lack critical thinking skills and interest in the role.
- I’m nervous
Hiring managers know that interviews are nerve wrecking and understand how you are feeling. Therefore, expressing how nervous you are does not add any value to the conversation, but instead shows that you lack confidence. Instead prepare ahead of time and learn how to get past your nervousness in order to sell your skills to potential employers.
- Cliche answers
It is important to always research and learn how to answer common interview questions, but be careful about giving cliche answers. Many common answers to interview questions like “my greatest weakness is that I work too much” have been so overused that have lost all meaning to hiring managers. To be effective, always make sure you are genuine and add value in all of your answers.
- Give irrelevant information
Examples and anecdotes are great tools for communicating your skills, but make sure all the information you give adds value. Irrelevant information will only confuse the hiring manager and make you look like you lack focus. When answering questions make sure you are always concise and purposeful.
The key to having a successful job interview is to communicate your skills and professionalism effectively. Knowing what to say or avoid saying during an interview will help you show confidence, impress the hiring manager, and ultimately land the job.
Written by
Jose Caceres
Marketing Manager
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