Capitalista Careers
Shh! What Your Interviewer Knows Can Hurt You
The truth might set you free, but it also might ruin your chances at landing the job. I’m not condoning lying per se, but there are just some topics that are best left avoided when in a professional interview. This is one of those situations in which a first impression is everything, so you have to make it count. Think of it like a first date. Would you tell the new guy from Ok C how your last boyfriend left you because of your tendency to pick meaningless fights and be cranky every morning? No. Would you say something equally as ridiculous to a future employer? Hopefully not after reading this. Read the following to get an idea of some ways to dodge potential bullets.
Things Your Interviewer Does Not Need to Know
1. That you’re occasionally/perpetually/sometimes late. Don’t be late to the interview. I’m a big proponent of the early is on time, on time is late, and late is not hired philosophy. If they ask what your biggest flaw is, being late should not be the answer. Even if it is, maybe consider this a new opportunity to say goodbye to your tardy ways.
2. Anything negative about your previous employer(s). This should go without saying, but you never know. I’ve been there. You’re in an interview and then you’re asked why you’re making a transition, or why you decided to leave a past position. Maybe your past employer was a maniac. Maybe she was a serial killer. Maybe he was just the worst person in the world. Regardless. Bite your tongue. Trashing anyone from a past work experience will just leave your interviewer with a bad taste and the fear that someday he or she will be on the other side of your wrath.
3. Anything about your personal life. Hey, it’s great to have friends at work. I love having coworkers I can chat with and feel comfortable around. But let’s get you hired before you start dishing out details about yourself that aren’t directly related to the position. Keep it strictly to work and the weather.
Happy Hunting!
xo The Capitalista
—
Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.
Featured image courtesy of [val.pearl via Flickr]
Comments