As a young recruiter named Eminem once wisely advised me, “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This job opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo.”
It sounded amazing! I eagerly awaited the interview, dressing in my nicest wares, smelling of musk and determination. Unfortunately, I said all the wrong things. Needless to say, I had blown my one shot and didn’t get the job.
Dr. Chester Goad, director of disability services and a graduate instructor at Tennessee Technological University, warns interviewers to stay away from positioning themselves as more important than the job. “Probably one of the most damaging things a candidate can say is that they view the position as a stepping stone or springboard for their career,” Dr. Goad says. “It certainly may be true, but it's one of those things a candidate should think rather than say.”
Perhaps the worst thing to bring up in your interview is how terrible your former job or boss was. James Meincke, a former recruiter and current marketing manager at CloserIQ, warns interviewees to avoid speaking ill of their former employers. “It shows lack of maturity and it makes the interviewer think the candidate could just as easily say the same things about their new employer,” he says. “It's okay to talk about a less than ideal situation, but never blame your former employer.”
When it comes time for you to ask questions of the interviewer, Christopher Latter, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Trendii, a collaborative and creative social commerce platform headquartered in London, recommends asking questions about the clients, the job requirements, and the team. “What I wouldn’t recommend is asking about pay raises, the length of your lunch break, when you can take your first holiday, or where the best places to eat are,” he says Motivational speaker and consultant Barry Maher has similar advice on interview questions from the candidate.