Whether you are about to be interviewed by a vampire, former king of France or just the run-of-the-mill office personnel manager, there are some things that you should never do. While some of these tips might seem as obvious as not sitting for an length of time on the railroad tracks, you would be surprised at how many of the following things have actually been committed by either people I know or people I read about (that may have been committed). So a word to the wise and avoid the following if you can.
1. Never bring your dog or pet anything or anybody else along for the ride.
I once read of a man who was running late for an interview. (This should never ever happen anyway!) He had to pick up his dog from the vet and the interview site was a few minutes away. To save time, instead of dropping the dog off at home, he took it along. No, no, no Nanette and others. This is not a good idea.
2. Being late is always a stupid thing to do for an interview. If you are going to be unavoidably so, at least be courteous and call ahead to say you are running late. Tell the truth. (Don’t compound your error with a tale of being abducted by aliens who changed their minds at the last minute and decided to let you go.) Whatever you do, don’t say you were late because you couldn’t find the place. A really interested applicant will go to the interview site beforehand so there will be no mishaps on D-Day. It looks bad that you didn’t prepare.
3. Do not chew gum during a job interview and do not dress as if you are going either to the beach or a formal affair. I have read of cases where common sense sometimes flies out the window when it comes to this. Some wrong thoughts are that causal dress reduces tension and that formal wear means you are serious. Dress appropriately as any potential employer is judging you by your appearance and you will not get a second chance if they don’t like what they see.
Stay tuned for some more no-nos; yes, yeses will follow.
Any thoughts?
Related Articles: