Six Ways to Mess up an Interview

Interviews are almost always stressful, even when you are extremely well prepared. There is so much advice available about what you should do during an interview, how to dress, what questions you can expect and so on, that I thought maybe it would be helpful to look as some of the things that can really mess up your interview.

Even if you do everything else right, these six things can derail your interview and can even cost you the job:

Chewing gum or sucking on breath mints or candy – It's normal to be worried about your breath and to attempt to prevent dry mouth, but chewing on gum or eating candy just looks unprofessional. It's annoying to carry on a conversation with someone who is chewing loudly or crunching on hard candy. It's a better idea to use a breath strip before the interview and abstain from the gum or mints.

Lying on your resume – A simple web search is usually all it takes for an employer to find out the skinny on your work experience and educational history. There are several ways that you can talk about a past mistake during an interview, but lying is a surefire way to ruin your chances at a job offer. Even if you have a criminal background or have been fired from several jobs, honesty is still the best policy.

Playing it cool or acting indifferent – Employers want to hire people who are enthusiastic and who actually want the job. Although playing hard to get might work in your dating life, there isn't really a place for it when you're looking for a job.

Not researching the company or the job – Before heading out to any sort of job interview, you should already know something about both the company and the job opening. You should know what they do, what challenges the company is currently facing and what the person they hire will be doing to help solve those problems. By spending some time researching, you'll be able to talk about the job and what makes you the best candidate.

If you don't know the answer, fake it – There are so many people who honestly believe that they can go into an interview without preparing and simply play it by ear. They depend on their charm and gift of gab to help them make a good impression. Although it helps, on its own, it's just not enough. Most interviewers can tell when you're faking it, so when you aren't sure about the answer to a question, admit that you don't know and mention how you would go about finding out. This will demonstrate your problem solving process.

Sharing confidential information about your employer – You should never talk bad about any of your previous employers and no matter what, never reveal any confidential information about any company you've worked for. Some interviewers will ask you probing questions and even try to get you to slip up and say something you shouldn't. Their goal isn't to discover industry secrets, it's to determine how trustworthy an employee you are.

Although making one of these mistakes might not be the kiss of death for your candidacy and there are some interviewers who will look past these things, they are definitely behaviors you should avoid at your next interview.

Have you ever made one of these mistakes? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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