You’d better not say this during your job interview - 4 real examples

Dublin, 16 October 2016

If you already got the invitation and set up the date, you must already have left a good impression and your potential employer is interested in getting to know you better and finding out, whether you are a perfect fit for the company. However, this does not mean you already got the job. To get there, the initial good impression needs to be backed up by the conversation you are going to have with your new employer. This time, we will tell you a few things that you should better not say during the crucial job interview.You stay silent. Nothing destroys the good impression that your application has left faster than your icy silence during the interview. We are sure you can understand, even from personal experience, that somebody who answers in monosyllabic sentences won’t make a good impression during a conversation. Maybe you are just shy or insecure. Maybe even both. Your silence, however, will most likely be interpreted as a lack of preparation for the job interview. The recruiter doesn’t want to perform a monologue, but to rather have a lively conversation, even with questions from your side. Which brings us to…What does your company do? This exact or any similar question will get you out of the game real quick. It’s the ultimate giveaway that you haven’t prepared at all for the interview. Of course nobody expects you to know every obscure detail about the company’s day-to-day business, you should however be aware of all the information that you can easily access online. What is the salary and what bonuses can I expect?  Don’t be the first one to bring up work compensation during the initial job interview. Let the recruiter do it, if the conversation runs smoothly and they see fit. Generally, because of the high number of available candidates, the hiring decision isn’t made during the first round of interviews. It’s much more likely that you will be asked to a second interview, should you have made a good impression again. Therefore, we would advise caution in mentioning your expected salary even before you get the hiring offer. But in case the interview turns out splendid and the recruiter asks you to name your price, you’d better not say…I’m sure we will reach an agreement.  When the recruiter asks you point blank about your desired salary, they are expecting an honest and real answer. There is some leeway for beginners who don’t have any experience in the workforce, as these are realistically more likely to be unaware of their net worth. Not so for candidate with work experience. The solution is, as always, very simple: prepare thorougly for your job interview.

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