As a job applicant, you always strive to make a good impression during your interview. Your main aim is to get across to the hiring manager and prove that you have the right set of skills, a great personality, and the drive to succeed in your new role.
To make that happen, candidates often prepare for their job interview in advance. They think of the potential questions the interviewer might ask them, and they prepare answers for those questions.
However, no matter how much you prepare, it is difficult to know whether your answer to the interviewer’s question was satisfactory. And, sometimes you may unintentionally send a wrong message.
To make sure everything goes well, we’ve prepared a list of 10 things you should never say in a job interview.
As long as you steer clear of these messages, you’ll undoubtedly ace your interview!
The first rule of job interviews – always come prepared!
You don’t want to walk into an interview without researching the position you applied for and the company. You don’t have to know all the details, but you should be familiar with the basics.
One of the best ways to leave a good impression during an interview is to show that you’re excited enough about the opportunity that you’ve done some homework.
One of the biggest mistakes candidates make during a job interview is they badmouth their former employer.
However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mention the companies you used to work for. When talking about a former employer, focus on describing your role, experience, and achievements. It is recommended to keep your tone somewhere between neutral and positive.
Feeling nervous before and during an interview is normal. But, there’s no need to share that with your interviewer!
Even if you’re feeling more nervous than ever before, you want to present yourself in the best light – professional and confident. It’s recommended to be honest during a job interview, but when it comes to this particular situation honesty may not be the best policy.
If you graduated recently or you’re trying to make a career change, this is one of the mistakes you could make.
When you point out your lack of experience, the interviewer might interpret it as if you’re not the best fit for the role. Instead of drawing attention to your weakness, focus on your strengths, skills, and your enthusiasm for the position.
You can try saying this instead:
Recruiters tend to ask their candidates about a certain skill or position that is on their resume. Your response to this type of question should never be “It’s written in my resume.”
Recruiters and interviewers know what’s on your resume, but they want to hear more details from you. In addition, they use this type of question to evaluate your communication and social skills. So, use this question as a moment to shine and point out your accomplishments.
Cliches such as “I think outside the box,” or “My greatest weakness is that I’m a perfectionist,” are usually frowned upon during job interviews.
Why? They offer little useful information about a candidate. Cliché answers have no depth and can be used by anyone. Skip these overused phrases, and describe your skills and abilities by telling stories about things you’ve done.
Telling stories is a great way to connect with the interviewer. Stories are more memorable than plain facts and they help you build rapport. However, what’s tricky about telling stories is that you need to tie them to the job position you applied for.
Even though the story about your last trip or how you ran a red light to arrive on time for the interview might seem funny and exciting to you, they are not something you should share with your interviewer (unless it has something to do with your professional achievements). Even if your interview seems casual, never allow yourself to enter the TMI zone.
Have you made plans after your job interview? Are you curious to find out how long the interview will last? Whatever you do, don’t ask your interviewer when you’ll be finished.
That seemingly innocent question gives off the impression that you are in a hurry or that you have somewhere more important to be. And, as expected, this can have a negative impact on the interviewer’s perception of you.
No matter how much you practice and prepare for your job interview, there is always a chance that you’ll get a question that stumps you. Saying “I don’t know,” is never the right answer.
If you get a question you don’t know the answer to, don’t panic! Ask the interviewer for a minute or two to think about the question. You can also ask the interviewer to elaborate if the question is not clear to you.
Even if you don’t know the answer after you take time to think about it, it’s not the end of the world. You can always share information on what you do know or tell the interviewer how would you find an answer or a solution to the problem.
“Do you have any questions for us?” is one of the most common interview questions candidates fail to respond to properly.
“No” is not an acceptable answer to this question, if you want to leave a good impression and showcase your interest in the company. Also, this is a great opportunity to find out everything you want to know about the company and uncover any potential red flags.
Did you know that we help all our candidates prepare for their interviews?
As a recruitment agency, our goal is not only to meet the needs and demands of our clients. We also look out for our candidates and make sure they find their ideal employer.
Once you apply to one of our open positions or you join our talent network, we become your representatives – something like your personal agents.
First, we’ll have a chat to get to know you better – your needs, skills, interests, and requirements. Then, we’ll match you with a company we know you’ll fit in with perfectly!
Before you have a call or meeting with your potential employer, we’ll be more than willing to have a prep call with you to make sure you ace that interview!
Sounds good? Drop your CV and we’ll get in touch!