Besides many other mistakes related to body language and the typical ones considered the most outrageous job interview mistakes, there are certain words or phrases that, used in a job interview, can immediately set off alarm bells in the interviewer’s head or quickly change how they see the candidate.
Michael Kerr, an international business speaker, has gathered some of the most common expressions used by candidates who get turned down by the interviewer because they reveal a lack of creativity and emotional intelligence. It is important to know what you are saying, because we should not forget that a job interview is no different from a talk, even though in an interview our audience is usually a single person paying close attention to what we say.
Here are 10 things you should never say in a job interview.
1. “I’m really nervous.”
Some time ago it could come across as endearing and even funny, but nowadays no company wants to hire someone who lacks confidence, so in this respect honesty is not the best option. Practically everyone is nervous in a job interview, and one of your skills will be hiding those nerves. “Fake calm and confidence until you make it.”
2. “Let’s talk about money.”
Don’t bring up money in the early stages of the interview. It is a subject that will come up on its own, raised by the interviewer. Although it is true that many companies sometimes forget that the candidate also has to be interested in the job depending on the conditions, the fact is that some recruiters, more and more of them, are looking for people with a mission and values beyond an interest in money. Wait for the interviewer to bring up pay and conditions.
3. “My weakness is…”
Never talk about your weaknesses unless you are asked the classic question, “What is your greatest weakness?” Once again, it is unnecessary honesty that can cut short your chances of being hired. The interviewer wants to hear you say what you will bring to the company with your experience and skills. There will be time to talk about weaknesses later. (Read: How to answer the question “What is your greatest weakness?” correctly). It will help you to know the real reasons why you will actually get hired.
4. “I need this job.”
Never beg. They are not going to hire you out of pity. What’s more, any hint of desperation is among the reasons that rule out the most people in interviews. I have even seen people cry, begging to be given the job because they could no longer pay the mortgage or feed their family. A bad strategy that killed any chance of getting the job.
5. “My current boss is a ” (insert insult here).
Personally, I have had excellent mentors who helped me become a good professional. I have also had bosses I consider truly incompetent. To some extent I think it is necessary to mention some of the problems I have had at a company, to make it clear that I don’t want to run into them again at the new one, but this kind of criticism has to be done carefully and “with a certain grace and good humour”. And, of course, very politely and without “gratuitous insults”.
As a general rule, speaking badly of a former boss is a reason not to be hired. Sometimes the interviewer invites you to do it so that you come across as petty and bitter, on the basis that if you criticise your old boss today, tomorrow you will criticise them.
Personally, I have always had a soft spot for hiring people who told me they wanted to sink their old company. If that person wants to sink them by working hard, I have everything I need for my company, because back in the day I was one of those people.
6. “Do you know roughly how long the interview will last?”
Never give the impression that you are in a hurry to be somewhere else: when an interview that was originally planned for 30 minutes ends up stretching to 90 minutes, that is a very good sign for you.
7. “I love the perks you offer.”
Don’t bring up how much you like some of the company’s perks, such as a policy of not working on Friday afternoons or free lunch. First, the company might be thinking of removing some of those perks, so the job you love today might become one you dislike without them. Second, you would also be giving the impression that you care more about your own benefit than about the benefit you can bring to the company.
8. “I’d rather not say.”
Unless it is an inappropriate or illegal question, you should always answer, because if you say “I’d rather not say”, you may lead the interviewer to imagine the worst possible reason why you don’t want to answer. And you can count on them doing so.
9. “Umm, er…” and the like.
These kinds of words show poor communication skills and often drive the listener up the wall. They are among the 10 words we should delete from our vocabulary in interviews, in business and in life in general.
10. “I don’t have any questions.”
At that final moment of the interview, when the interviewer asks you “Do you have any questions?”, always find a question to ask; otherwise you may come across as too complacent or uninterested in the company.
Further reading
- 40 work skills you should put on your CV
- How to stand out in a group job interview
- 6 mind games recruiters use in job interviews
Featured image: Joseph Ducreux, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
