Wading through all the job search advice on the internet can be overwhelming. From observing job seekers in job interviews for a number of years, I have come up with 5 essential things NOT TO DO before and during a job interview.
Avoid these pitfalls and you will immediately have an advantage over competing job seekers.
Do Not:
- Dress Casually for Job Interview. The only exception to this being if you have been asked to dress casually by the potential employer or are interviewing on an active work site filled with mud, dust, dirt, etc.. I have seen too many people blow interviews because they show up in worn out, holey jeans and rumpled shirts. If you cannot dress business appropriate for an interview, how are you going to dress if you get the job?
- Smoke Immediately Before the Job Interview. The smell will linger on your clothing and may be very off putting to the interviewer. Companies interviewing for health care positions are especially sensitive about this as most of these workplaces do not allow any smoking in their facilities.
- Bring your cell phone to the interview. Even when cell phones are in silent mode, they still buzz loud enough to be distracting. Certainly, never talk on your cell phone while waiting for or during an interview. Doing so will convey that you have more important places to be than the job interview.
- Make one of the first questions that you ask in the interview focus on salary and vacation time. There is definitely a time and place to ask about salary and benefits, but early in an initial interview is not it. The interviewer will get the impression that your main concerns are about what’s in this job for you and how quickly you get a break from work. He or she is looking for what you can do for the company, not what the company can do for you.
- Neglect to send a thank you note to the interviewer(s). These company representatives have dedicated time to finding out why you would make a great addition to the company. Time is such a valuable commodity. Thank these individuals for spending it with you.
For more job search tips, take a look at:
Great tips. You’d think these would be intuitive, but I’ve seen all of this and more when interviewing candidates.
I have seen some pretty wild stuff over the years.
Great tips, Sarah! Being on numerous interviews in my career and being an interviewer for several of those years, I completely agree with each of these tips. It is important to present yourself appropriately during an interview to ensure that you are seen as the best person for the job.
Thanks so much for sharing on Turn It Up Tuesday! We love having you! 🙂
One of the most amazing job fair clothing choices I have ever seen were the pink house shoes.
Found you on Do Tell Tuesday. Love this post, all true. I Pinned it on my FYI board.
Thanks so much. Sending G+ and Twitter love your way.
Great tips. I know of someone who had the job in his pocket until the first question out of his mouth was number 4…. Oops….!! Someone else got the job, even though they were willing to give him what he asked for and more…. True story.
🙂
“hugs” Crystelle
Crystelle Boutique
Bummer to get that far in interview and then blow it.
These are great! Luckily I’ve never done any of them for any of my interviews. 🙂
Thanks. It is amazing how many people do at least one of these things.
great tips. Thank you for sharing your lovely blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop xo
Love Thursday’s Favorite Things Blog Hop.
Great advice! I’m naturally a “people watcher” and it always amazed me the way some people would dress for interviews while I was waiting for one as well. I’ve worked a lot of service industry jobs, but just because you’re applying for a job as a cook, waitress, cashier, etc. doesn’t mean you should wear jeans to an interview. Ever. But that’s just me. 😉
Amen.
The no smoking thing is SO important. I was interviewing people to replace me, and one of the applicants was so cigarette stinky, I couldn’t wait to get her out of my office. It was in healthcare too, just like you mentioned!
Seems to happen more often than it should.
It amazes me how many people lie about their knowledge and qualifications on their resume. I had a candidate tell me she would be 15 minutes late everyday. Thanks for being honest but you are not getting hired! I agree 100% about the cell phones it drove me crazy when candidates would answer their cell phones or check the alerts they received during the interview. Leave the phone in your car.
Nice of her to give you notice that she can’t be on time to work. Priceless.
Those are some great tips!! Thanks for sharing these on DIY Sunday Showcase!! Have a great week!!
Shelly
minettesmaze.blogspot.com
You are very welcome!