Job Interview taboos, 5 things to avoid during your next interview.

You have impressed the recruiter with your good CV and cover letter, and you have been selected for an interview by the employer. Everything you have been doing has been for you to reach this stage. Your time has come, you have come so far, now it’s time to cross the last stage of the journey, the job interview.

During interviews you get to show who you really are, this is the stage where personality shines, despite being the most difficult stage, you do not get a do-over during an interview making interviews the hardest part of the job application process so you need all the help you can get. In this article, we take a look at the interview don’ts, these are the things you should not do when you are at an interview.

Do not send the wrong message

Always make sure you send the right message to the recruiter every time. We do not want to lose our interview over trivial stuff. All your activities should paint a good, professional picture to the recruiter. This means that your social media activity must portray a professional picture, your email name must be professional and the way you handle yourself amongst society must also be presentable. Recruiters will dig through all these things to check whether you are the right persona for the job, so keep it clean always, social media popularity is not worth losing your next big interview.

Don’t be late

This goes without saying. Do not be late for your interview. Remember, only fools rush in. Make sure you know the place where the interview is taking place. Do a trial run, go to the place a day before your interview. Check where the interview is to take place and check for the shortest distance there. If you are driving, make sure you have a good parking spot so that you won’t be late looking for a place to park your car.

Try not to arrive at the exact time of the interview. Arrive 15 minutes early so you get time to compose yourself, gather your thought, and prepare yourself for the interview. We do not want you getting into the interview all sweaty and out of breath. This shows you are not organized and unprofessional.

Don’t overdress

We know you might want to dress to impress but there are levels to it. Do not let your outfit overshadow you and be the best thing about your interview. Dress smartly and professionally, we do not recommend flashy clothing. For women do not try over-the-top hairstyles, keep it simple and professional. It is recommended to wear stockings with a dress or skirt. Do not try to outdress the recruiters this will not paint a good picture for you. When it comes to accessories, wear a few, do not over-accessorize, if it helps just wear a watch only, and skip all the other fancy stuff. Check out more on what to wear here.

Don’t lose your composure

Here we are talking about the first minutes of your interview, these are the most important minutes of the interview. The first minutes of an interview sets the tone of the whole interview, so go in there keep a calm composure and introduce yourself. When introducing yourself do not stammer, look sideways or crack your bones, show confidence, and make eye contact with the recruiters to show that you have a grip on the interview. We are not saying to be cocky but show strength and composure during the first few minutes of your interview.

Don’t talk too much

Loose lips sink ships. You might think talking more will help you get the job, news flash it won’t. Just speak the appropriate amount. Always speak when you are spoken to. Avoid speaking in a casual manner. Always read the room and see what the appropriate thing is to say at a certain time. Don’t be confrontational with the recruiter, always be nice and avoid showing irritation in your voice no matter what. There are those people who like to connect with people through oversharing information about themselves, do not do this at all. Always give a straight answer without wandering around too much.

There are many interview taboos we can list but these are some of the most important ones. You deep down in your gut know what is inappropriate, listen to your gut. You are responsible for your success or failure during an interview, some things you learn as you go on, but make sure not to overlook some stuff, try to be perfect even though no one is, the effort alone will vindicate you. Good luck.

Key takeaways

• Conduct yourself in a professional manner always
• Do not be late for your interview, arrive 15 minutes early always to give yourself time to settle down and prepare.
• Always dress professionally, do not over-accessorize or dress provocatively.
• Keep your composure all the time.
• Do not overshare, only answer the recruiter`s questions.