There are things that you should never do in an interview.
Yesterday on my way home, there was a story on the radio which was talking about the crazy things that some people were doing during interviews. I might be old fashioned, but whenever I knew I had an interview, I was desperate to make sure that everything was perfect. My hair had to be well-groomed; clothes ironed properly and shoes cleaned and shiny.
If you are serious about winning that job, here are several things that you should never do in an interview:
1. Arrive late – This is not really “in” the interview but it is a no-no nevertheless. This is a horrible first face-to-face impression that should be avoided at all times. Even though it might not be your fault that you were late, it would still leave your interviewer with a bad taste.
2. Chew gum – The lady speaking in the excerpt was saying that she has seen all colours of gum – pink, green, orange blue. What makes it worse is when you start to blow bubbles. Solution? Don’t chew gum.
3. Use slang and dialect – Sadly dialect has overtaken proper English as the speech of choice. Slang terms are equally as popular. Please stick to standard English and do not use slang and dialect when you are speaking to an interviewer.
4. Answer your cell phone and engage in conversation – The few times that I’ve been to interviews, my cell phone was turned off until the interview was finished. The lady on the radio also spoke about people answering their cell phone and carrying on a conversation. Turn off your cell phone before you go into that interview.
5. Tell lies – If you told lies to get the interview, that was wrong. If you told lies during the interview, that was also wrong. Telling lies will get you nowhere. Whilst it might seem as though you’re getting ahead, one simple phone call or request for proof could make you very uncomfortable. Do the right thing and don’t tell lies.
Unfortunately, some people do not know the dos and donts of interviewing. If you’re in a position where you’re constantly interviewing for jobs and not being selected, check to see if you’re guilty of any of the five no-nos that I outlined.