A lot rides on how you comport yourself during the oral job interview. Your prospective employer judges what you say, how you react and your all-round personality.
While your words will represent you, there are a few things you should avoid saying if you do not want to judged negatively.
“I don’t know” : While it is possible that no matter how you prepare, your interviewer could still ask a question that will stump you, refrain from answering with “I don’t know”. Respond with another angle. You could ask the interviewer to explain the question better or you can respond to the best of your abilities. Saying “I don’t know” instantly makes you look dull.
“My former boss used to…”: You do not, under any circumstances, badmouth your previous organisation or employer. If possible, avoid bringing it up in an interview at all. You might think badmouthing them is supposed to make the interviewer come out in a better light, but all they will notice that you will badmouth them to others in the future.
“I will do anything for the job”: Yes, it is important to have passion for a job and show this passion, but desperation will negatively impact you. Employers want people who are confident that their abilities will get the job, not people who desperately plead to be hired. Besides, if you come off as desperate, the employer will fear that for the right price, you could sell out the company you are working for.
“You are doing things wrong”: No matter what your opinions are about the job you are interviewing for, there are more subtle ways to make them known. Do not outrightly attack the way your employer does things in a bid to show that you can do them differently. They want to hear how you can improve the company, not how they are doing things wrong.
“What do you do” : Before going for any interview, make sure you are well prepared. You should find out all you can about the company and what they do. It is not your interviewer’s job to provide you with this information. Asking them to explain this to you makes you look unserious and woefully unprepared.
“Let’s talk money”: It is not up to you to bring up the issue of pay or benefits. This makes you sound like all you care about is what is in it for you and not what you can contribute to the company. Employers frown at that. If you impress them, they will bring it up and will want to impress you. Do not jump the gun.
“No questions”: During a typical job interview, you will get a chance to ask questions. Automatically responding with “no questions” will not make you come across in a positive light. Asking a question or two lets them know you are focused, interested and eager to learn more.
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