Weíve all heard the stories - the candidate who answered their mobile during an interview and said ìYou donít mind if I take this do you and can I have some privacy?î Then thereís the interviewee that actually said he didnít want the job for long, just until heíd raised enough money to go travelling! These are just some of the genuine blunders commonly reported by leading interviewers in major corporations in the UK.
Sarah Drew, General Manager of TheLadders.co.uk is a regular interviewer and can testify firsthand that some people just donít have a clue when it comes to going for an interview. ìSometimes the most able candidate on paper can shoot themselves in the foot when you actually meet them. What you as the potential employer has to do, is assess how much of it is just interview nerves and how much of it is indicative of their inability to do the job!î
Drew goes on to say: ìIn the current climate where no job is for life and redundancies are rife, it is more important than ever to shine in an interview and stand out from other competitive interviewees.î
According to users of TheLadders.co.uk, some of the most outrageous interview gaffes include:
1. Inappropriate clothing. Yes a boob tube has been recorded as the most unsuitable garment worn to an interview
Sarah Drew says: ìMake sure your attire is suited to the organisation you are going to, if in doubt, Keep it smart ñ a black suit never failsî
2. Lying. When a candidate said they spoke fluent French, they were speechless when the interviewer suggested continuing in French!
Sarah Drew says: ìwhile it may be OK to gloss over certain details you may not want to flag up as the high points in your career, blatantly lying could land you in hot water, as if found out, youíll lose your integrity and the job offerÖ
3. Slating past employers or colleagues. When a candidate said heíd hated working for his previous boss as he had no management skills, he didnít bank on his interviewer being related to him
Sarah Drew says: ìSpeaking negatively about past employers/colleagues communicates bad team spirit and shows unprofessionalism. If you canít say anything good, say nothing at all.î
4. Acting desperate. After a bad interview a candidate said to his employer: ìOk that didnít go well, but if you have any other jobs going Iím quite good at database managementÖî
Sarah Drew says: ìDonít underestimate yourself, have confidence in your ability and be positive, if you think you can do the job they will have faith that you can too. If you want to analyse how it went, call a friend afterwards.î
5. Being unprepared. On getting to his interview a candidate promptly introduced himself to the Marketing Director only to find he had walked in to the company next door to one he was interviewing for. On being asked what he could bring to the role and the company, an interviewee replied ìWhat is it that you do again?î
Sarah Drew says: ìDo your research! If you go unprepared it shows a lack of effort on your part and reeks of disinterest, not to mention aptitude.î
Top Five Interview Clangers!
Sarah Drew of TheLadders.co.uk reveals the gaffes preventing you from getting that elusive next job!
