How long has it been since you went on a job interview? Many people who are looking for work today are people who have been laid off after working in the same job for years. Job searching in 2010 is a totally different endeavor than it was ten, five or even two years ago. That being said, there are some rules of job hunting that remain consistent. Especially when it comes to job interview etiquette.
Here are five things you want to AVOID doing at your next job interview.
- Bad mouth your previous boss or company – While this may seem like a no brainer, it’s actually an easy to mistake when your interview is going well and you’re feeling comfortable with the person your talking with. Even settle complaints should be avoided at all costs. Such as, Boss was very unreasonable, very unclear in explaining, was a workaholic, was not a very good leader, was not strong and lacked respect in the company, my boss stole all my ideas. Etc
- Complain about personal or professional hardships – unless some of those personal hardships have some bearing on the job at hand, leave your take of woe for another time.
- Talk Office Politics - This goes for past office politics or asking about the politics of the job you’re applying for. Short of asking the details of whom YOU answer to, the political hierarchy will just have to present itself to you over time.
- Complain about boredom – No matter what the circumstances were at your previous job, don’t talk about all the hours you spent on Facebook at your previous job because no one was giving you tasks to do. Seriously, just don’t.
- Complain about your lack of connection - Once again, this is going to sound bad no matter how you say it. If you skipped meetings because you just generally didn’t click with the folks your work with for whatever reason, you should probably keep it to yourself.
It’s easy to get caught up in a conversation during a job interview, and that’s ok. Developing an instance repore with the person interviewing you is always a good sign. But don’t, nit even for a second, forget you’re on an interview!
