FYI Candidates December 2007
Interview No-No’s You Need to Avoid
by Orrick Nepomuceno, CPC
Vice President of Development, Dick Wray Executive Search
It’s often easier to operate when working off a list of the things not “to-do” when compared with a list of things “to-do” during an interview. To that end, below is a list of interview no-no’s that you should know:
1. Showing Up Late—Do not, under any circumstance show up late for an interview. Even if you think you know how long it will take with drive time, go one hour earlier to avoid being late. This will show your interviewer that you are serious about the position and that you also have respect for his/her time.
2. Inability to Remember Interviewer’s Name—Showing up for an interview and either
forgetting or not knowing how to properly pronounce the interviewer’s name is a huge faux pas that is sure to be noticed.
3. Interviewing Without Performing Research—You are expected to perform necessary research before the interview. Don’t show up without having full knowledge of what the company does and the potential role/position. Not knowing your interviewer’s role is just as bad, so pay attention to those details.
4. Communicating—Communication is crucial, especially during an interview, but you never want to: 1) talk too little or 2) talk too much. You are interviewing the company as much as you are being interviewed, so ask questions such as, “How would you describe the corporate culture?” But talking too much can hurt you just as badly, so keep answers to less than 20 seconds and ask follow-up questions to ensure they have the needed information, such as, “Was that enough elaboration?” Ask the interviewer questions that allow him/her to talk about him/her and the organization. This will also give you the opportunity to show off another soft skill—listening. For more information on this topic, read my blog Chatty Cathy’s Don’t Get the Job: Knowing When to Shut Up
5. Losing Eye Contact—When you lose eye contact during an interview, you show: 1) an uneasiness with the conversation, or 2) disinterest in what the other person is saying. Do your best not to lose eye contact if you are serious about getting the position.
6. Turning a Weakness Into a Strength— Even if you think it’s what they want to hear…they don’t! Make sure you keep your weakness just that, but focus on what you’re doing to correct them rather than acting like you’re perfect.
7. Dishonesty—Being dishonest (even a little) can hurt you. Always assume fact checking is occurring and act accordingly.
8. Assuming You’ve Landed the Job—Don’t ask questions about benefits and perks before being offered the position. This tells the interviewer you assume you have the job.
9. Asking if You Got It—Don’t ask whether or not you got the position. This shows impatience—a quality that could get your application discarded.
10. Neglecting the Follow-up—Personal notes don’t seem to be common practice any more, but that is why you should always write one as a thank you to the interviewer for his or her time. Neglecting this attention to detail could be the deciding factor between you getting the position and the person who sent a note.
As many rules as there seems to be, there are always more where these came from. Do your homework, know your subject matter, be confident without showing overconfidence, and let your interviewer know that you are the perfect candidate through attention to the above details.
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Orrick Nepomuceno, CPC is Vice President of Development at Dick Wray Executive Search. He is also author of Hitchhiker In The Corner Office: Avoid The Hiring Potholes So Your Employees Don’t Hit The Road! He can be reached at orrick@dickwray.com