Job interviews are terrifying and nerve-wracking, especially the most important ones. Humans have the tendency to get nervous and fumble while facing a stage or giving a job interview.
If you think you have a hard time giving a job interview, trust me you aren’t the only one confessing that right now.
However, while being nervous, people mostly do unexpected things that they regret later. These are the things that happen almost unintentionally but they leave a wrong impression on the job interviewer.
To be honest, a job interviewer doesn’t know how much talent you possess unless you show it. Therefore, there are a few things you should never do in a job interview if you want to nail it and get the job.
In this article, we will discuss the Top 10 Things not to do at an Interview intentionally or unintentionally.
If you want to avoid these mistakes, read the article thoroughly and find out the most common error you aren’t supposed to make while giving a job interview.
No matter how much you fumble, you have to calm your nerves and put on a confident face. That’s the only way to nail a job interview.
10 Things not to do at an Interview –
1. Not knowing about the company or the job role
The first and foremost thing you are supposed to do before a job interview is gathering the right knowledge about the company you are going to work for.
Most people get confused and excited while preparing for a job interview that they barely take out some time to know the company.
Some people don’t even bother to go through the job role and know what they will be doing while doing the job.
Interviewers are adept at finding out such people and when they test the candidate’s knowledge of the company’s background, they aren’t surprised to see a clueless face.
To avoid the mistake, take the first step right. Just after applying for a job and getting the job interview call, take notes and research the company’s background. Also, go through your job description if available.
If you have some experience, you won’t have any problem answering questions related to your field, but when it comes to the company, you better do your research. First, it shows that you took out your time to know about the company.
Second, it shows that you are legit excited about the job.
2. Not dressing right for the job interview
The type of clothes you wear tell a lot about you and your choices. It is also true that one should wear according to the occasion and place. It is really odd to wear a swimsuit at a festival and heavy ethnic clothes on the beach.
It doesn’t make sense, right? Therefore, you should wear the right attire for your job interview from the footwear to the Skilled job interviewers literally know 50% about you by just looking at the clothes you are wearing.
It is best to wear formals for a job interview. The colors should be subtle and soothing to the eyes. When in doubt, choose professional clothes, or if you want, you can also wear plain ethnic clothes like Kurti and leggings.
Also, don’t forget to comb your hair and have a decent hairdo. Having uncombed and frizzy hair reflects that you didn’t take time to prepare yourself.
If possible, wear light perfume and avoid heavy accessories. Remember, it is a job interview, not a fashion show.
3. Not respecting the timings and turning up late
That’s the most common mistake that most people make almost unintentionally.
If you are given a specific timing for the job interview, please be on time. Being on time represents how much you respect someone else’s time.
Always be on time and to make sure you’re on time, arrive 15-30 minutes early. Being ahead of time will give you enough leverage so that you won’t be late even in case of an emergency.
If you somehow turn up late, it is going to create a bad impression on the job interviewers. Therefore, you better be on time.
4. Taking out unnecessary things with you and fidgeting with them
Yes, that’s where I lose a great opportunity. During a job interview for a university-level prize, I made the worst mistake of taking a pen along with me.
Everything was going right, but my nerves started fidgeting with the pen and it started bothering the job interviewers. They even mentioned it once, but unconsciously, I started doing it again, and guess what, I ruined it.
Don’t make this mistake. Never, I repeat ‘never’, take an unnecessary thing with you at a job interview. Also, put your phone on silent and it is best to not take it inside the job interview room. By not taking unnecessary things into the room, you will only make it a smoother process for you.
5. Lying on your resume
To look better professionally, many freshers lie on their resume about various training and experiences. Some people even lie about their hobbies too. It is better to write legit things and your real hobbies on your resume.
This doesn’t work all the time, especially when the job interviewer finds it fishy. Lying on your resume is like telling your friends you own a big house, they are going to know sooner or later that you live in a decent house.
Besides, lying also creates a bad impression on the job interviewer. Therefore, it is best to be honest about your experiences in case they start asking questions about them.
6. Bad or unconfident body language
Body language communicates with the job interviewer even before you start speaking. Poor body language reflects poor confidence, lack of authority, poor personality, and everything negative about your candidature. No one wants a clueless employee who is easily influenced by others.
To avoid bad body language, just practice the way you walk, the way you make eye contact, the way you sit, the way you lean forward, and the way you enter and leave the job interview.
These things might seem unnecessary but they hold enough weightage in a job interview.
To know the right body posture and gestures that you should follow in a job interview, read this article by Mashable.
7. Backbiting about your previous or current employer
In professional life, backbiting isn’t considered professional. No matter how bad your job is for you or no matter how the co-workers were, you better not speak ill about them.
It would only create a bad impression about your nature on the job interviewer. Using foul language is only going to make things negative around you.
8. Not asking questions and using slangs
Your interest can be directly judged by the number and type of questions you are asking. This is one of the most common things that happen during a job interview.
But most people don’t take the opportunity to ask questions. Don’t make this mistake and turn on the curiosity inside you even before starting the job interview.
Moreover, using gap words like ‘erm’, ‘like’, ‘yeah’, ‘actually’, etc., more often also creates a bad impression. You should avoid using slang and short forms while answering questions.
No matter how nervous you are, don’t use swear words and offensive words that can possibly create a bad impression on the job interviewer.
9. Interrupting the job interviewer or getting more personal
No matter how nervous or excited you are, don’t speak before the job interviewer finishes the question. Interrupting is a bad
manner that potentially means you are challenging the job interviewer. Have some patience and listen carefully to everything, and then answer in a reliable manner.
Apart from that, many people also make the mistake of discussing their personal lives while answering something totally different.
Avoid being personal as it tells the job interviewer you are bad at keeping your personal and professional life separate. Be as precise as you can and don’t dive too much into your personal life.
10. Don’t be impolite and discuss money consistently
Every person has their patience level. It is very likely to lose patience during a job interview and it only causes a mess. Some people even get impolite when they are asked some simple questions or are caught lying.
The last thing you can do in a job interview is being impolite to the job interviewers.
Remember, a job interview is more like a test. Here, the job interviewer is not only testing your knowledge and experience but also your patience level, emotional intelligence, and the ability to handle stressful situations. Therefore, don’t act like a fool.
Also, don’t try to discuss the money and holiday stuff on your own. Everyone knows that people work for money and by focusing on money too much, you are only reflecting your dire desire for having more money.
Therefore, unless brought upon by the job interviewer, don’t work hard to bring on the topic of package and money. The job interviewer will discuss it on their own.
Conclusion
There are many other things that you should never do at a job interview. a job interview is supposed to be professional. Therefore, you should be well prepared for this experience.
From the answers to the body language, you should practice everything to avoid any mishappenings. Remember, a job interview is conducted so that you can showcase your professional self, therefore, keep it professional and nail it.
