Interviews are nerve-racking and sometimes we slip up. Reduce your chances of making a mistake by reading our article on 10 things you should never do in an interview. Some of these points may sound obvious but you would be surprised about the amount of times companies have reported these things happening in an interview! Be prepared and read on.
10 Things You Should Never Do In An Interview
1. Keeping Your Phone On
Nothing is more disrespectful in an interview than being distracted by your phone ringing or receiving a message. It is polite and courteous to turn your phone off so your phone doesn’t disturb the interview process, which leads us to our next no-no, not listening:
2. Not Listening
You may be so pumped and enthusiastic to be there that you interrupt your interviewer. They won’t take kindly to be interrupted as it looks rude and disrespectful no matter how nervous you may feel. Try to remain calm and relaxed and take in everything they are saying. You will then be able to respond effectively to their questioning. Stay focused and don’t daydream!
3. Being Arrogant Or Over Confident
There is a fine line between being quietly confident in your skills and abilities and being cocky or arrogant. Go ahead and talk about your achievements and skills but keep a level of humility rather than showing off.
4. Wearing Inappropriate Clothes
If you are going to a job interview for an office job, smart business wear is still the most appropriate clothing to wear. For men this is a suit, a tie is not necessary if you are wearing a smart shirt with your suit. For ladies trousers or a skirt with a smart top or blouse is suitable. It is also fine for a lady to wear a suit. Don’t forget about your shoes as they are more noticeable than you think. Make sure they are smart and clean. Wearing clothing that is too tight or has brand names or logos is also not a good look.
If in doubt about what to wear, it’s always better to be overdressed than undressed for an interview. Dress the part! It’s also wise to plan what you are going to wear the night before, at the latest, including accessories such as jewellery and shoes. You don’t want to delay yourself trying to find something suitable to wear on the morning of your interview, which leads to the next point, being late for an interview:
5. Arriving Too Early Or Too Late
It is obvious that if you arrive too late for an interview it is not going to give a good impression to your prospective employers so make sure you plan your route to their office in plenty of time. Also work out where you are going to park and how long it will take to walk to their office if you are driving. Allow plenty of time for traffic jams and delays on public transport.
It is also not wise to be too early for an interview as it looks as though you are unable to plan your time and journey correctly. It is also better to be early rather than late but until your interview time, wait in your car or a cafe or visit the local shops.
6. Bad Mouthing A Company Or Boss
It doesn’t reflect well on you if you are negative about a former or current boss or a company you are working for or used to work for. You should remain positive and upbeat throughout your interview as no one wants to work with a bitter or negative person. Instead, sound like you’re a team player who gets on well with others.
7. Poor Body Language
Make sure you know the difference between good body language and poor language. More is conveyed through body language than what you say. Poor body language includes fidgeting, appearing disinterested, not making eye contact, mumbling, looking at your phone, yawning, slouching and chewing gum. Good body language is making good eye contact, having a firm handshake and sitting up straight.
8. Not Doing Your Research
If you haven’t done your research about your prospective employer it will show in the interview. Your interviewers will be asking you questions during your interview to determine how much you know about the company. Having knowledge of the company shows you are interested in the role and you are able to prepare for important meetings.
Read the company’s website and research the market and its competitors. A bit of time spent on this will pay off in the interview. Being as prepared as you can be will also make you feel more calm and confident which will come across in the interview. If you ask generic questions it will be obvious that you haven’t done your research.
Read our blog post on ‘How to Answer Competency Based Interview Questions‘ and ‘How To Answer “Why Do You Want This Job?”
9. Swearing Or Using Slang
It is generally not acceptable to use bad language in the workplace and it is definitely unacceptable to swear in an interview. You may end up offending your interviewer and you must remain professional and polite at all times.
If you are applying for a professional role it is generally not a good idea to use slag. This includes the use of “mate”, “bro”, etc. This also leads to the next point which is being too familiar.
10. Being Too Familiar
Refrain from saying how much you need or want the job as it will look desperate and will make you look unattractive to the interviews. Be friendly and upbeat but do not flirt or become too familiar in the interview, remain professional and business-like at all times. Don’t over-share, you should never talk about your financial situation, your family or personal life unless it relates directly to a question being asked. On the flip side of this is asking your interviewer’s personal questions about themselves, it is never appropriate.
We hope this article helps you in your next interview and to prepare further read our other articles on interview tips.
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