Wednesday, April 25, 2012

5 things to never say during a job interview

DSB Director of Employment Raymond Clark recently shared the most common pitfalls for tanking the job interview. While most of his points should be prevented by applying common sense, it might help to highlight the 5 biggest offenses:

  1. Don't talk about your children or extended family. If the interviewer asks you directly if you have kids or if you are married simply state:"My children/family affairs do not affect my work performance."
  2. Avoid giving TMI. Just answer the question without rambling on and on about other things. The interviewer is not interested in your life, only in the skills you bring to the job.
  3. "I am only available during these hours/for this many hours per week..." is a big no-no. No employer in his right mind will hire someone with this mind-set. Companies can't schedule their hours around your convenience.
  4. "What does your company do?"---Seriously, if you missed the boat on doing your homework about the company you are interviewing with, at least don't parade your ignorance around. 
  5. "How much does this job pay?"---Well, no one expects to you to work for free, but hold off on the money talk during the initial interview unless you are asked how much you are expecting to get paid. And even then, it might be best to state "that is negotiable." If you have nothing but dollar signs in your eyes the hiring manager will question your work ethics. 

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