Category: Interviewing

What NOT to Say in an Interview

What you should not say in an interview is just as important as what you should say. Sometimes people who have excellent skills and work history blow their interview by saying the wrong thing. Let’s make sure you’re not that person.

Here’s a list to start us off. Please feel free to add your own suggestions as well as your own experience in a job interview in which you think you said the wrong thing.

  1. Negativity about a previous employer or job
  2. “I don’t know.”
  3. Discussions about benefits, vacation and pay
  4. “It’s on my resume.”
  5. Unprofessional language
  6. “I don’t have any questions.”
  7. Asking what the company does
  8. Overly prepared answers or cliches
  9. Discussions about your lack of experience
  10. Personal information not relevant to the job or your qualifications

How to Talk About Hard Stuff

Often employers will ask you questions that may seem hard to answer and make you squirm. Here are some great ways to answer some of those questions in an interview. Tough Interview Questions

But let’s say you are pretty sure you’re going to have to address questions about your past that you would rather not. For example, if you have an arrest or prison record, or gaps in employment, or you’ve never worked because of a number of reasons – you were a homemaker, you’ve only had volunteer or temporary jobs you will likely feel anxious about how to answer those questions.

Your main intent in responding should be to focus on what you’ve learned as a result of your situation. You can also speak of the projects or organizations that you were involved in and the skills you gained from them.

Primarily, you must always be honest. Never, ever lie in an interview. There are many ways today an employer can check your answers and a lie most often ends badly for you.