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The top 10 ways to bomb a job interview

Posted on 21. May, 2007 posted by Bill in Employment News

The top 10 ways to bomb a job interview

You’ve made it through the graduation ceremony and survived all of the parties. Now it’s time to think about the next step: landing that first big job.

The Class of 2007 has excellent job prospects. Employers in every industry plan to hire 20 percent more new college graduates this year than in 2006, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Interviews are notorious for being the most nerve-wracking part of a job search. But career coaches and employment experts say keeping in mind a few tips can help. So, with apologies to David Letterman, here are some tips:

10. Twirl your pen in your fingers like a drummer. Answer your cell phone and repeatedly check your watch.

Your total focus needs to be on the interviewer. Show the energy and enthusiasm you will bring to the job.

9. Forget to send the interviewer a thank-you note.

Thank them for their time and write a letter within a few days. “At the end of the interview, look for some type of next step, such as another interview,” said Ken Sexton, branch manager of Spherion Staffing Services in Daytona Beach. “Let them know you appreciate their time and you want the job.”

8. Don’t ask any questions.

Asking questions shows interest in the job and the employer. “Research the company and know the skills that can benefit the company,” said Beverly Harvey, a DeLand-Based career coach.

7. Trash your current or former boss.

Keep your comments positive and upbeat.

6. Ask a lot of questions about workers compensation, and other benefits.

“I’ve had people ask ‘When is lunch?’ I feel like saying ‘All day because I’m not going to hire you,’ ” Sexton said.

5. Ask the interviewer who the hot teen-aged babe is in the photo on his desk.

Steer clear of anything personal or too familiar. The interviewer doesn’t have to know you really need this job because you have a mound of credit card debt. There’s no need to mention that little incident regarding your old fraternity.

4. Act arrogant. Start right off the bat by being rude to the receptionist.

Receptionists are the gatekeepers and it’s their job to be the eyes and ears of the company. Also watch your language. Four letter words won’t show you are tough. It says: I’m unprofessional and if it shows in the short span of an interview, imagine what I’ll be like in the office.

3. Throw up on the interviewer.

One manager said he had a job candidate throw up on him. Another had an interviewee laugh nervously and spit out a false tooth. One sure way to stave off nervousness is to practice mock interviewing with a friend, Sexton said.

2. Wear a tight skirt and a low-cut blouse, and constantly drop your pen.

No short skirts, no tight skirts and no cleavage. “I am amazed I have to tell women that cleavage is not appropriate for the office, said Barbara Pachter, a career coach. And, no flip flops or sandals; it’s not the beach.

And the number one way to blow a job interview.

1. Show up reeking like a pack of stale Lucky Strikes and Old Spice.

On the other hand, don’t take personal grooming to an extreme. “One candidate brushed her hair in the middle of the interview,” a hiring manager said.

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