Student Life

What NOT to Say During a Job Interview

What NOT to Say During a Job Interview
It’s easy to forget that interviewing well is a skill that you have to practice to get good at. While many see it as an easy “oh, they just want to see my personality” situation, it’s important to prepare for it like anything else. 

You wouldn’t go blind into a final exam so you shouldn’t go blind to a job interview. Although there are many tips on how to do well, check out these sentences that could hurt your chances at getting that job!
1. “Ugh, I really hated when my last company did…”
While jobs can be hard and you may not like everything you did, you shouldn’t bad mouth a past employer to a potential employer. 

This gives off the impression that if you can talk poorly about your old job, then you will speak poorly of your new one. Instead, try phrasing what you disliked about your past job in a way that shares why you felt the way you did about the issue and how you plan to move forward from it.
2. “I wrote it in my resume.”
Although employers and HR had previously read your resume, you have to remember that they have gone through hundreds of resumes before getting to yours. 

Don’t always assume that they have memorized your resume front to back. In addition, some employers may ask because they want you to elaborate what you’ve already written.
3. “Um… I like..um”
While it’s natural to throw in a few filler words here and there, it can show a lack of confidence if your sentences are muddled with them every few words. For some employers, it can also come across as an inability to communicate effectively. This is an issue if you’re applying for a job that is client facing or requires you to work alongside people in higher positions.
4. “I have no questions.”
When employers ask you whether or not you have any questions at the interview, they’re gauging how interested you are in the position and company. If you fail to ask any questions at the end of an interview, it shows that you haven’t properly researched the company or that you have no interest in learning more about your role. Employers want to find an employee that is just as excited about the job as they are about filling it.
5. “So, what do you do for this role?”
Any questions that show your lack of research about a company makes it easier for the interviewer to automatically put your resume in the “do not hire” folder. While it’s perfectly normal to not understand everything about your potential role, it’s important to show that you at least understand the basics of what you would be doing for your role. If you’re trying to learn more about the position, try asking questions such as “what does the role entitle on a day to day basis?”
6. “What exactly does this company do?”
Going into an interview without having done basic research on what the company does is almost an automatically good way to ensure you will not get the job. Make sure you go into every interview understanding what the company is known best for and what their main goals are. This helps you as well because you can see whether or not the company is a good fit for you and your interests!
7.  “I don’t know”
While it’s perfectly okay to be caught off guard by a question, you should avoid saying you don’t know when they’re looking for an answer. 

If you don’t know the answer to a question, this is the perfect opportunity to show employers that you’ll put in effort to find an answer. Especially for technical questions, employers are looking more at how you get to the answer rather than the answer itself. 

When this arises, you can always try saying, “that’s a great question, at the top of my head I’m thinking…?” or “I can’t exactly think of something at this moment but I can definitely look into it and get back to you.” 

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