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Of course it’s important to know what to do. But it’s just as crucial to understand what not to do in a job interview.
In my more than 30 years as a hiring manager, I have seen all kinds of things. Some of them are really funny, except that they are keeping the person from getting a job. Below are some of the behaviors that the interviewer probably can’t tell you are the reasons you didn’t get the job. But please understand that these are all things not to do in a job interview.
Don’t bring anyone with you
I was hiring for a nursing position and onw of the applicants brought her sister with her to the interview. She gave no explanation, no introduction, but the sister just came along. I didn’t have a waiting room. There was no place for this extra person to sit without being very much in the way of everyone doing their jobs. It was extremely awkward and had no good solution.
Many potential employers do not have waiting rooms. Therefore, unless you are interviewing in a medical office or someplace that you are absolutely certain has a waiting room, don’t bring anyone else to the interview with you.
If you need a ride to the interview, the driver should not come in. Not into the building and certainly not into the interview. Instead, he or she should wait in the car, or do an errand, or whatever.
When the interview is over, leave the building. Do not sit and wait for your ride. Be sure to have a meeting point and method of communication figured out ahead of time. This is because you do not want to give your potential employer the impression that you are going to be difficult to work with.
Arrive on time, alone, and leave without fanfare. Yes, you want to be memorable, but not this way.
Don’t forget the rules of your profession
All professions have rules and norms that are generally understood among people who work in said profession. Make sure you understand yours. If you are new to your profession, you can’t be expected to know everything yet. (Of course, you’ll never know everything, but you understand what I mean.) What you don’t want to do is take a little bit of knowledge and misuse it during the interview.
Here is an example:
An applicant was applying for a therapist position. This was a person with a master’s degree.
He was asked to describe a client he had worked with and how he worked with that person. This is a standard interview question for a clinical position and easy to do without giving any identifying information. But, just to be safe, I always add: “and of course I don’t want any identifying information.”
He said, rather aggressively, that he couldn’t do that because it would be a HIPAA violation.
While HIPAA is a serious law and meant to protect privacy, describing a situation in which you worked well with a client does not violate it. You can read about HIPAA here.
I don’t know what else he said, because he lost all credibility at that point. It’s ok not to know, or not to be sure and to want to learn. But it is never a good idea at an interview to bluster about something and be incorrect.
If you are going for an interview in a field that you’re just entering, you can Google common interview questions for that field and be sure you understand the expectations and think about how you might answer some of those questions.
Do I have to say it? Don’t come to the interview in your workout clothes
I shouldn’t have to say this, but I’ve been doing this a long time and have seen this more than once, twice, and many more.
Even worse, I had one woman show up to the interview in workout clothes and she had clearly already been to her workout. Funny, yes, but what was she thinking?
It doesn’t matter if you think you are interviewing for a “casual” job like yard work, cleaning, washing dishes or the like. An interview is about presenting yourself as a serious candidate for the job. No, you shouldn’t wear a suit, but at least look like you remembered you were going for an interview.
For more about your work wardrobe when there is no dress code on the job, click here.
Don’t give the interviewer a “heads up” that you’ll be dressed inappropriately
Yes, I’ve had this happen, more than once.
A woman called ahead of time to ask if it would be ok if she came to the interview dressed inappropriately. Since she would be doing whatever beforehand, she wanted to give me a “heads up.”
The interviewer is not interested in your jogging regimen, dance class or school-trip-chaperoning schedule. All these things are important and make you an interesting and well-rounded person. And they will all be good topics of conversation as you’re getting to know your new coworkers.
But the interviewer has a position she needs to fill and she needs someone who can make the job a priority. The woman mentioned in this example has told me exactly the opposite: that even when she has the opportunity to present herself in the most professional light, she is not able to prioritize work. If she can’t do it for the interview, there is no chance at all that she will be able to do it once she gets the job. Therefore, I cannot consider her a serious candidate, no matter what the job.
Don’t remove your shoes and socks
Once again, this should be obvious. But of course I’ve seen this:
I sometimes wear a toe ring when I wear open-toed shoes. A woman came into the interview, wearing closed shoes. She gasped, “Oh, I have one too!” And proceeded to whip off her shoe AND HER SOCK to show me her ring.
So now the issue is judgment. I don’t mind teaching specific job skills to a smart person who has a good attitude and uses good judgment. I consider that an investment. What I can’t do is teach a person, no matter how good his skills are, to use good judgment. I will hire the person who I can trust to use good judgment over a more skilled candidate who doesn’t every single time.
Don’t talk badly about a previous employer
I know that there are bad employers out there; I’ve worked for some of them. That may be why you’re looking for a new job. All fine and good, but you can’t say that in a job interview. You have to have an answer for the question about why you are looking for a new job. And it can’t be that you hate your current employer or anything similar.
You can say, “I’m looking for a new opportunity,” or “the job you advertised sounds particularly interesting,” or something like that.
In one example, a young man told me that he could be available to work immediately because his current employer doesn’t treat him right and so he doesn’t need to give notice. But all he did was send up giant red flags in my mind.
I would never hire someone who would not give appropriate notice (2 weeks for hourly employees and four weeks for salaried employees) to his or her current job. If you’ll do it to them, you’ll do it to me. No legitimate employer will expect you to leave your current job without giving notice.
Come up with your reason for wanting to leave your current job before you go to the interview. No matter how tempting, DO NOT bash your employer (current or past) at an interview.
If you really can’t give appropriate notice before leaving, don’t tell this to the interviewer.
Don’t Forget to Read Social Cues
I was interviewing a gentleman and had gotten all the information I needed. And so, I was trying to end the interview.
“Thank you so much for your time,” is an ending that most people recognize.
He kept talking.
I stood up (another really good indicator that the interview is over.)
He kept talking.
I opened the door.
I kid you not, he kept talking.
Always follow the interviewer’s lead and be sure to pay attention to the non-verbal cues. When the interview is over, it’s over.
