Tuesday, June 29, 2010

What NOT to Do During an Interview

If your behavior during your job interviews is making your interviewers wonder if Ashton Kutcher is going to pop up to tell them they have been "Punk'd," then you probably are not going to land any jobs.

Believe it or not, some hiring managers claim they
have wondered this while conducting some interviews. Luckily, the Wall Street Journal has provided a list of "Eight Mistakes Job Hunters Make" to help you avoid becoming an interview to remember- for the wrong reasons.

1.
Entitlement Syndrome: Asking your interviewers to take you out to lunch or to correct mistakes on your résumé is not going to impress them.

2.
Behaving Rudely: Bringing along your child or eating a sandwich during an interview would not only be distracting, but also very rude. Other examples of rude behavior reported by hiring managers include showing up more than an hour early for interviews, interrupting interviewers in mid-sentence, refusing to fill out a job application and referring hiring managers to their résumés instead.

3.
Acting Arrogantly: Having your phone ring during an interview AND taking the call gives the impression that you think you are a shoo-in for the job or are not interested. Other candidates have shown arrogance by demanding to bypass human resources, inquiring about salary and job benefits at the start of an interview and insulting former employers.

4.
Lies, Lies, Lies: Telling lies about previous experience, taking credit for work you didn't do and inflating your salary will not make you look good once your interviewer catches on.

5.
Dressing Down: Some interviews may be less formal than others, but it is never appropriate to dress down. Jeans, flip-flops, and tight or revealing clothing are never appropriate for a job interview.

6.
Oversharing: Your interviewers are not interested in your personal issues such as your health problems, your love life or your financial hardships. This information can-and most likely will-be used against you.

7.
Saying Thanks with Gifts: Sending a thank you note is a definite do after an interview, but sending a thank you gift says you are trying to buy yourself the job and will most likely knock you out of the running.

8.
Sporting a Mom-and-Dad Complex: Having your mom or dad accompany you to an interview or email the company to ask why they haven't extended an interview to you does not send the message that you can handle matters maturely and independently.

While some of these may sound far-fetched, they are based on
real experiences reported by hiring managers! To read some of the actual stories they told the Wall Street Journal, click here.

No comments: