Careerbuilder.com Wackiest Mistakes Candidates make in interviews

Came across this http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-12-2008/0004772413&EDATE= article on the wire today about the worst mistakes candidates can make. Certainly very funny reading – but, if you’ve been doing this long enough, you’ve read, heard or seen it all. Most telling, I thought were the following stats: “In addition to the most unusual blunders, employers were also asked about the most common and detrimental mistakes candidates have made during an interview. More than half (51 percent) of hiring managers cited dressing inappropriately as the most detrimental mistake a candidate can make in an interview. Speaking negatively about a current or previous employer came in second at 49 percent and appearing disinterested ranked third at 48 percent. Other mistakes included appearing arrogant (44 percent), not providing specific answers (30 percent) and not asking good questions (29 percent).”

This just goes back to what I tell every candidate (but seemingly, some still do not LISTEN!) - never speak poorly about your past working experiences, always research a company (and have some questions!) and act & sound enthusiastic/passionate when you interview. Just today, I had a client decline a candidate because they did not show any interest, excitement or passion during the interview — being “flat” “boring” and “listless” in this market is a sure recipe to lose out on a job you want. Companies are conditioned to expect a person who is “ON” during their interviewing – selling yourself and don’t end up a statistic.