The Top 10 Interview Never, Ever, No – No’s
In the recruiting business we hear about all sorts of things that happen throughout the course of an interview. Candidates, for the most part, are conscientious and exhibit personality traits that would seem normal, however, there are the few that exercise no common sense. Here are 10 things that have heard over the years that are absolute NO-NO’s.
- Never arrive late, always be on time even if it means that you have to sit in the parking lot until its time to go in.
- Never bring or use a cell phone or PDA during an interview. You must be focused on the interview and by bringing devices that cause distraction, you only jeopardize your position as a candidate. Nothing is so important that it can not wait until later.
- Never bring your pets. Sounds like common sense, but we have heard of a woman that brought her parrot to an interview; the hiring manager had to find a place to put it and its squawking caused a major ruckus around the office. Work is NO place for an animal unless its there for legitimate assistance.
- Never wear jeans, shorts, cutoffs, tank tops, halter tops, flip-flops etc. An interviewee needs to look and dress like a professional. This is a first impression, regardless of what the position is, you must dress nicely and in a manner that shows you are competent.
- Never show up to an interview without assessing your personal hygiene. Make sure hair is in place, deodorant has been used and teeth have been brushed. Another thing to consider is the over use of cologne or perfume; although it smells good to you, it may be offensive to others.
- Never use profanity.
- Never bring a friend or spouse to an interview. If you need a ride, that’s OK, but have them wait in the parking lot or coffee shop until you are finished.
- Never fail to call your recruiter after the interview. If a recruiter was involved in putting you in front of a prospective employer, make sure that you follow up with them to let them know how things went. Many times the recruiter has valuable information that can be shared to give you insights to your chances.
- Never talk more than you listen. Listening is the key element to communication. If you are a talker by nature, let the interviewer talk; do not cut them off or talk over them. Not only is this disturbing, but it will ruin your chances almost immediately.
- Never go into an interview without prior knowledge of the company. You should always have an idea of what the company does and some history of them. Being knowledgeable, not only about the position, but also the company, shows that you are interested in them and you have done your homework.
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