Nobody wants a job interview to go sour, especially in this economy. A few things that you might not even think of—as well as a few common sense bloopers—can mean the difference between a victory and another bout of job searching.
You talk too much
Job interviews are for selling yourself to your future employer. It’s also a time, however, for you to gauge what your future employer wants in an employee, and you won’t be able to do that if you don’t stop talking to listen. Rather than jibber-jabbering away, try active listening by asking relevant questions to follow up important points the interviewer makes. Pay attention and you’ll show that you’re a good communicator—a vital aspect of almost any job candidate these days.
Moreover, watch what you say during the interview. Avoid clichés like “I work well with others” and “I’m very organized,” even if you think these are relevant points. Use more sincere, original descriptors, since according to a survey of 500 human resource executives by the Human Resource Management, 65% of interviewers completely disregard this kind of talk, anyway.
You text too much
You want your interviewer to believe that you stopped your world just to come see him or her at this hour on this day, that this opportunity is special enough for you to put everything else on hold. Interviewers are looking for this kind of dedication, and they won’t see it when your phone goes off in the middle of a session. Don’t even bother with the vibrate mode; turn it off completely before you enter the office building and don’t turn it back on until you’ve left it.
You Tweet too much
The delight of a winning job interview is almost too hard to keep private—so you Tweet it. Minutes after you’ve left the building, your interviewer Googles you and finds the gloating Tweet, quickly erasing you from the list of candidates.
It’s good practice to keep work and play separate, anyway. Keep your Facebook updates and Tweets to yourself.
You smell too much
You showered in your cologne this morning and now your interviewer smells you before he or she sees you. Your interviewer is looking for someone who can appeal to the greatest number of people as possible, and that means everything in moderation, including your perfume of choice.
You drink coffee
It’s a good idea to keep drinks out of the interviewer’s sight, even if it’s just water or coffee. Seventy-nine percent of recruiters see this as bad manners.
You gossip
Even if your previous boss was a complete disaster, don’t talk about it. Any manner of gossip reflects poorly on you according to 95% of interviewers. Honesty is important in a workplace but so is discretion, and your future employer will want to know that you are a loyal member of your job community.
You think it’s Casual Friday everyday
Dressing in too casual (i.e. denim) or too revealing (i.e. miniskirt) clothing is a turn-off for 95% of recruiters. No matter how casual the work environment, most interviewers expect classy attire—at least a button-up, jacket, and slacks—for the interview.
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Author: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching areas of online degree programs. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.