By David Chilcote II, MSW
Co-Founder/EVP
Quiethire.com, Inc.

Interviewing for employment is an opportunity to beat out your competition for a position you obviously find interesting. Being prepared for the interview is an often times overlooked advantage and you should take great steps in learning everything you can about the company, it’s people, policies and plans for the future. Use every available resource to do your homework before you set the appointment for your interview. Conducting research will prepare you so that you may answer any questions your interviewer may raise. The most typical question is, “Do you have any questions for us?” Do your research with this question in mind and you will gain an advantage over your competition.
Equally important in beating out your opponents is to avoid doing things that are sure to raise red flags in the eyes of the hiring authorities. Some of the most common complaints from hiring managers are the following eight avoidable activities:
Arrive Late
Without question, unexpected things will happen to you on the day of the interview; count on it and plan for it. Prepare for the car battery to be dead or the weather to become severe. Look for unavoidable traffic delays or flat tires. You will be nervous, so spilling food and drinks is more likely to occur. Any or all of these things will consume time that could make you late to the interview and leave a very bad impression with the interview team. Plan accordingly and arrive anywhere between 15 and 20 minutes early. While waiting for the interview, read company literature.

Dress Inappropriately
If you are unsure of the business attire at the company with whom you are interviewing, (which, you could have already scoped out by making preliminary visits to the company parking lot at opening or closing time), you should dress in business casual or better. Recruiters have shared horror stories of interviewing candidates:
1. “Came to the interview straight from the gym.”
2. “Wore pink sneakers and shorts.”
3. “Her skirt barely covered anything.”
4. “The top three buttons on his shirt were undone.”

Use Bad Language
No matter the topic of questioning, the language of the interviewer or the business setting, your best bet is to use proper language and avoid any slang. Inappropriate language includes racial slurs, texting lingo, sexually charged verbiage or cursing. Use language skills your early caregivers would be proud to hear.

Bring Your Children
Not much else speaks of your inability to plan or your lack of resourcefulness than to bring your children or your pets to the interview. Interviewees who do this raise serious concerns about your ability to work consistently without interruptions and raise fears that you will be requesting time off from work to care for children or pets more frequently than most. Arrange a caregiver well in advance of the interview date and have a backup plan in place should that caregiver fall through at the last minute.

Put Down Your Former Employer
You are interviewing for a reason and a very good chance exists that the current interviewer will ask, “Why are you leaving your current employer at this time?” Be prepared to answer this question honestly and forthright without extorting the pitfalls of your current or former employer. All companies have secrets or embarrassing attributes that they would rather stay private. If you put down a former employer, the interviewer will worry that you will likely do the same should you leave them in the future. Chances are, if you do disclose negativity about a former employer, you won’t be getting the chance to work for this one, so simply have a better answer such as, “I’m looking for more opportunity for advancement,” or “I want to be more challenged in my work environment.”

Have an Emotional Outburst
Emotions play a very big part in most everyone’s life, but it is best to set them on the shelf during the interview process. The interviewing company is looking for a stable, well-rounded go getter who can handle things quickly and efficiently. Having an emotional breakdown during the interview gives just the opposite impression. Should questions begin to trigger an emotional moment, feel free to ask for a bathroom break, collect your thoughts privately and return to finish the interview more relaxed and comfortable.

Groom Yourself
Prior to the interview, at home, do a good job of cleaning your fingernails, toenails and checking your teeth, ears and nose. It is inappropriate to clean your fingernails or floss your teeth while in or waiting for an interview to begin. It is also very embarrassing to go through and interview only to discover something unwanted dangling from a portion of your face as you pass the mirror on the way out.

Refuse to Fully Complete the Application
Each and every question on most applications should be answered, even if they are difficult to answer. It is best to answer questions truthfully and explain a question than it is to leave it blank. Candidates that refuse to answer questions will be ineligible for hire or questioned as to their inability to follow instructions. Candidates that falsify information on the application can be immediately terminated upon discovery.


Copyright QuietHire.com, 2008. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority.