13 Things You Should Never Say In A Job Interview

Job interviews are one of the final steps you have to take before a company makes a final hiring decision. There are many types of job interviews, but they almost always consist of a face-to-face conversation to see if you are the right person for the job.

The job interview is the company’s chance to learn more about you and your chance to learn more about the company. It’s an opportunity for both sides to see if you will be a good fit. It’s basically a focused question and answer session where both parties need to be open and honest about their potential future relationship.

But not too honest. Now you should never ever lie in a job interview, but there are some things that you don’t need to mention or say because they will hurt your chances of getting hired.

Here are 13 things you should never say in a job interview:

1. Any Plans To Leave Your New Job In The Very Near Future – Hiring new employees is an expensive and time consuming process. No company wants to hire someone who doesn’t plan to stick around.
2. Why Your Last Job Was Awful – Bad mouthing your terrible boss, mentioning the horrid work conditions of your last job, or actively burning bridges is not a wise thing to do during a job interview.
3. Personal Information – You never need to divulge personal information like your sexual preference, disabilities, or living situation. It’s irrelevant and has no bearing on your ability to do the job. Keep your ears open for any illegal interview questions.
4. Your Busy Schedule Of Interviews With Other Companies – Companies want you to be committed to the job that you are applying for. Don’t mention that your next stop is a job interview with their competition.
5. Anything That Shows You Didn’t Do Your Research – It’s your job to do your research before a job interview. If you didn’t, don’t let the interviewer know!
6. That You’re Nervous, Anxious, Hungover, Or… – Even if you’re terrified or feeling terrible, don’t mention it. Relax. Just be yourself and do your best. Here’s how to beat a case of the nerves.
7. Referring To Your Resume – The reason you’re at the job interview is because of your resume. The interviewer already read it. Now they want to get to know you better.
8. Nope. No Questions. – You need to have questions prepared to ask the job interviewer. This is your chance to learn more about the job and the company. Here are few good questions to ask a job interviewer.
9. Ums, Ers, Uhs, Ahs – Speech disfluencies show that you are nervous and can hurt your credibility. Think before you speak. Then say what you need to say clearly and efficiently.
10. Cursing – Nobody wants to hire someone who has a potty mouth. Don’t curse in a job interview.
11. Sorry I’m Late – Be early to every job interview. Timeliness is always a factor in the hiring decision. If you can’t make it to the job interview on time, what else will you be late for?
12. I’ll Do Anything To Get This Job – Companies do not want to hire a desperate job candidate. Be confident in your skills and your abilities. Don’t beg for the job.
13. Anything About Vacation Plans – Vacation is a fantastic perk, but it should not be a major factor in why you want the job.

As you can see, these are all things you should never say in a job interview. They are easy things to avoid saying, so don’t. If you’re preparing for a job interview, remember that you can get all sorts of job interview advice on the JobMonkey Blog.