Interview No No's

  You are all dressed and ready to go for your interview. You know all the basics and think it will be a no brainer.  However, do you really know everything that could affect your interview?  Here’s a little refresher course and maybe some things you may not have thought of.

Arriving too early:  You know about not arriving to your interview late, that’s the kiss of death for an interview, but how about when you arrive too early?  Getting there a half of an hour early can be to your advantage.  You’ll have arrived at the building in plenty of time and you can do a final once over in the rest room.  You can also give yourself a pep talk if you need one.  Actually going to where the interview is being held a half hour early, however, is a bad idea.  It can make you look overly anxious, show a lack of confidence and uncertainly.  It can also cause pressure on the person who is going to interview you who now knows there is someone tapping their feet in the waiting room.

Asking too many questions:  You do need to ask questions.  Not asking any questions can make you look uninterested in the job being offered.  Firing one question after the other can make the interviewer uncomfortable and defensive.  There has to be a balance.  You need to ask enough questions to let the interviewer know you want the job but not that they feel as if they are being interrogated.

Having your perfume or after shave enter the room before you do:  Yes, you want to smell good.  If people’s eyes are watering or they’re fanning the air with a newspaper, maybe you should check to see how heavy you doused yourself.  You should never have your perfume or after shave announce your entrance.  If the interviewer is worrying about where their next breath of fresh air is coming from, they aren’t going to be concentrating on the answers to your questions.  Go easy on the scents.

Anticipating the next question:  Listen, listen, listen, did I mention to listen? Don’t try to anticipate what the next question is going to be.  You need to listen to what is being asked at the moment and focus on that.  Skipping ahead can cause you to become inattentive and miss the question that may be the one that gets you the job.

Being tired and unfocused:  Even if you have been up all night with a sick child or a teething baby, you need to look bright eyed and focused.  Your interviewer doesn’t care why you’re tired.  In all actuality, they shouldn’t even be able to tell that you are tired.  If you are unfocused, you won’t get the job.  Psych yourself up before you walk into the interview room.

The limp fish handshake:  A limp handshake will not impress your interviewer.  Your handshake needs to be firm but not to the point of bruising bones.  If you aren’t sure of how your handshake rates, have a friend or two shake your hand and tell you how it scores.

I hope these hints will help in your next interview.  If you have any helpful hints for our readers, please leave a comment.