8 worst things to say in an interview

Mishra

1. "I hated my last boss." Your last boss was a miserable person whose main concern was making your life miserable. Of course you don't have a lot of nice things to say; however, don't mistake honesty, which is admirable, for trash-talking, which is despicable.

"If you truly did hate your last boss, I would be prepared to articulate why your last organization and relationship was not right for you," says Greg Moran, director of industry sales and partnerships for Talent Technology Corp. "Then be prepared to explain what type of organization is right for you and what type of management style you best respond to."

2. "I don't know anything about the company." Chances are the interviewer will ask what you know about the company. If you say you don't know anything about it, the interviewer will wonder why you're applying for the job and will probably conclude you're after money, not a career.

"With today's technology," Moran says, "there is no excuse for having no knowledge of a company except laziness and/or poor planning -- neither of which are attributes [of potential employees] sought by many organizations."

3. "No, I don't have any questions for you." Much like telling the interviewer that you don't know anything about the company, saying you don't have any questions to ask also signals a lack of interest. Perhaps the interviewer answered every question or concern you had about the position, but if you're interested in a future with this employer, you can probably think of a few things to ask.

"Research the company before you show up," Moran advises. "Understand the business strategy, goals and people. Having this type of knowledge will give you some questions to keep in your pocket if the conversation is not flowing naturally."

4. "I'm going to need to take these days off." "We all have lives and commitments and any employer that you would even consider working for understands this. If you progress to an offer stage, this is the time for a discussion regarding personal obligations," Moran suggests. "Just don't bring it up prior to the salary negotiation/offer stage."

Why? By mentioning the days you need off too early in the interview, you risk coming off presumptuous as if you know you'll get the job.

5. "How long until I get a promotion?" While you want to show that you're goal-oriented, be certain you don't come off as entitled or ready to leave behind a job you don't even have yet.

"There are many tactful ways to ask this question that will show an employer that you are ambitious and looking at the big picture," Moran offers. "For example, asking the interviewer to explain the typical career path for the position is fine."

Another option is to ask the interviewer why the position is open, Moran adds. You might find out it's due to a promotion and can use that information to learn more about career opportunities.

6. "Are you an active member in your church?" As you attempt to make small talk with an interviewer, don't cross the line into inappropriate chitchat. Avoid topics that are controversial or that veer too much from work.

"This sounds obvious but many times I have been interviewing candidates and been asked about my personal hobbies, family obligations, et cetera," Moran says. "Attempting to develop a rapport is essential but taking it too far can bring you into some uncomfortable territory."

7. "As Lady Macbeth so eloquently put it..." Scripted answers, although accurate, don't impress interviewers. Not only do they make you sound rehearsed and stiff, they also prevent you from engaging in a dialogue.

"This is a conversation between a couple humans that are trying to get a good understanding of one another. Act accordingly," Moran reminds.

8. "And another thing I hate..." Save your rants for your blog. When you're angry, you don't sway anybody's opinion about a topic, but you do make them like you less. For one thing, they might disagree with you. They also won't take kindly to your bad attitude.

"If you are bitter, keep it inside and show optimism. Start complaining and you will be rejected immediately," Moran warns. "Do you like working with a complainer? Neither will the interviewer."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/06/23/cb.interview.tips/index.html

Some IT folk need to definitely pay attention to #8. I actually wasn't going to post this article until I read #8.

dynamik

I liked the tips regarding asking about a typical career path and why the position is open. Those seem like they would lead to good dialogs.

AmpdChaos

awesome tips i have an phone interview soon.. when they ask are there any other questions what should you ask???

Aldur

I always struggle with the "do you have any questions" topic. I honestly have a hard time thinking of questions to ask. I don't want to sound clueless about the job but I don't want to ask stupid questions either.

Any suggestions with what are good questions to ask during an interview?

networker050184

I always ask about the longevity of a position and about growth and advancement opportunities. I also ask about the organization of the company and if they usually promote from within or not. I always am sure to ask about benefits as those are very important to me as a family man.

Those are the things I'm concerned about when interviewing for a job. If I were you I'd ask what you are concerned about rather than a set of questions that are the "right" questions to ask.

Kasor

Those tips are kind of obviously,...

Aldur

networker050184 wrote:

If I were you I'd ask what you are concerned about rather than a set of questions that are the "right" questions to ask.

Very good advise indeed, I suppose the thing to worry about is how to phrase those questions that you ask.

az_golfer

I once asked a potential employee where he saw himself in 5 years at which point he explained that this job was just a temporary gig so he could save some money and open up his own restaurant.

astorrs

az_golfer wrote:

I once asked a potential employee where he saw himself in 5 years at which point he explained that this job was just a temporary gig so he could save some money and open up his own restaurant.

And you hired him on the spot right?

AmpdChaos

networker050184

those are good advice.. im kinda new to the job interviewing scene .. and i struggle with those questions ..


thanks

seuss_ssues

networker050184 wrote:

I always ask about the longevity of a position and about growth and advancement opportunities. I also ask about the organization of the company and if they usually promote from within or not. I always am sure to ask about benefits as those are very important to me as a family man.

Those are the things I'm concerned about when interviewing for a job. If I were you I'd ask what you are concerned about rather than a set of questions that are the "right" questions to ask.

Pretty much the same here.

If all else fails at least ask them about the corporate culture. What your possible working conditions will be (cube, office, etc), ask them about appropriate work attire, ask who will be your coworkers, who you report to, etc. There are a million questions that can be asked.

Then there is my favorite question. It was the very last thing asked in my last interview (which i got): "What are your main concerns about hiring me?"

Granted it may not be suitable for every interview, but it was perfect for my last. I was a little shy on the experience factor they were looking for. Instead of evading the topic and letting them discuss that amongst themselves, I brought it right out in the open and gave myself the opportunity to defend myself on the topic.

Slowhand

Good advice. A lot of people, myself included, have slipped up along those lines at one time or another. It all seems like common sense, but it's easy to forget. Very good guidelines, along with the usual seven.

astorrs

Slowhand... Ah yes good old George. RIP.

I'll give you my personal favorite, just don't wear it out because it always throws the interviewer for a loop (makes them think) and they've always remarked positively on it...

"If you select me for this position, a year from now how will you evaluate if I've been successful in it?"

The answers can be really eye opening as to the nature of the job and the company.

HeroPsycho

You mean "How about a fist bump for a fellow terrorist?" didn't make the list?!

AmpdChaos

slowhand Good advice. A lot of people, myself included, have slipped up along those lines at one time or another. It all seems like common sense, but it's easy to forget. Very good guidelines, along with the usual seven.

whats seven have to do with george carlin?

astorrs

AmpdChaos wrote:

whats seven have to do with george carlin?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_dirty_words

Don't use them in an interview.

Aldur

seuss_ssues wrote:

Then there is my favorite question. It was the very last thing asked in my last interview (which i got): "What are your main concerns about hiring me?"

That is indeed a good question to ask, like you said, it may not be applicable in every interview situation but that would be great to use when needed. I think it might be very useful in my situation. I have an interview Wednesday, going to be the last interview for the job, down to just me and on other guy, and considering that I have a little more then a year of experience in the IT field, I think I just might use it.

I'll see how the interview goes and decided on that.

AmpdChaos

lol... thanks for the clarification.. some funny stuff

dynamik

You might as well just throw out the video at this point (Very NSFW Language)

Slightly back on topic, here's a Family Guy clip (probably NSFW as well)

AmpdChaos

lol classic family guy scene... carlin is creative.. good stuff..

AmpdChaos

back to interviews... for entry level.. what was the most impressive thing you felt that put you over the top??

Slowhand

AmpdChaos wrote:

back to interviews... for entry level.. what was the most impressive thing you felt that put you over the top??

The number one thing? That's easy: willingness to learn. Beyond any knowledge I bring to the job, in present or past, that has been the foremost factor in being picked.

oo_snoopy

Aldur wrote:

I always struggle with the "do you have any questions" topic. I honestly have a hard time thinking of questions to ask. I don't want to sound clueless about the job but I don't want to ask stupid questions either.

Any suggestions with what are good questions to ask during an interview?

1. Tell me about your network (ask for specifics of what you don't know yet)
2. What's the average work day like?
3. What kind of projects would I expect to be working on.

And my favorite last interview question.

4. How do you see me fitting into this role and what is the greatest concern you have for me in this position.

Aldur

oo_snoopy wrote:

1. Tell me about your network (ask for specifics of what you don't know yet)
2. What's the average work day like?
3. What kind of projects would I expect to be working on.

And my favorite last interview question.

4. How do you see me fitting into this role and what is the greatest concern you have for me in this position.

Very nice question examples, I be sure to use them, or some variation of them, tomorrow with my interview.

eMeS

AmpdChaos wrote:

back to interviews... for entry level.. what was the most impressive thing you felt that put you over the top??

At entry level...20 years ago...my mother and father knowing the guy who was the director of the data center. I was a 17 yo high school grad...

That priceless connection earned me a nighttime job from 11-7 M-F running an IBM 3800 printer, an IBM 4245 printer (all connected to an IBM pre-CMOS mainframe - The giant room sized ones), and a Pitney-Bowes "AIMS" machine. My salary, a whopping $13k per year plus 12.5% shift differential.

In 1988....Big time....I bought a "Cavalier"!

That was my one lucky break...it was all hard work from there....

Looking back, after I got to know the guy, what would have helped more than anything was talking about how many girls I was having sex with...the only problem is at the time that number was exactly 0!

MS

eMeS

Oops, apologies...I didn't know that word was censored. I thought the way I said it was cleaning it up!

MS

astorrs

Hey at least this time the XXX's were in context.