Mona Abdel-Halim is the co-founder of Resunate, the makers of the Apply widget for startups. You can start attracting top talent free by getting an Apply widget for your company at Resunate.com/employers. Connect with Resunate on Facebook and Twitter.
If you've been on the job search for a while, it's likely you have a good idea of things you should be doing to land a new job, such as optimizing your resume or building your personal brand online. Of course, you can't get the job if you don't make a great impression on your interviewer or potential employer.
But there are also plenty of ways you can ruin your chances of getting a new job. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people kill their chances before they've even left their interview. If you're hoping to land your dream job, here's what not to do during the job hunt.
1. Blow Off the Phone Interview
If your resume makes it past an employer's applicant tracking system and impresses the hiring manager, it's likely you'll be invited for a phone interview. This is how employers whittle down their list of applicants to decide who they want to bring in for an in-person interview — so you need to be prepared and take the opportunity seriously.
Here's a great example of what not to do (courtesy of an anonymous employer via MyCrappyResume):
"[I] had a couple of phone screens with clearly drunken candidates. Also had a candidate sweating profusely through interviews and going to the bathroom every 5 minutes. (Word to the wise — if you're THAT sick, reschedule!) Needless to say, none of them were hired!"
It's also vital that you're properly prepared for the interview. Sit in a quiet room without distractions, do your research beforehand and ensure you're actually able to speak on the phone for the allotted time. One job candidate learned this the hard way:
"I was asked to participate in a second phone interview while I was on vacation, and because I was very interested in the job, I obliged. Before I started to answer the first question, my phone completely died. I had no way of retrieving the phone number. Needless to say, I did not get the job."
2. Talk About Other Job Opportunities
It may sound like common sense, but some job seekers feel the need to be overly honest when interacting with potential employers. There's always the chance that one opportunity might fall through, so don't jeopardize one position because you think you might get another.
Obviously, employers don't like being rebuffed, particularly when they've spent a lot of time reviewing your material and preparing for the interview. Here are two real stories that are almost hard to believe:
"Someone once started an interview with me by saying 'Okay. So, just to set this straight, I did interview for another job that I'm probably going to take if I receive an offer.'"
"During the interview, an alarm clock went off from a candidate's briefcase. He took it out, shut it off, apologized and said he had to leave for another interview."
3. Provide TMI
Unfortunately, there are a lot of jobseekers who have had a tough time landing a new job. Whether you're a new graduate, an older job seeker or one of the long-term unemployed, it's likely that you've had your fair share of challenges on the hunt for a new position. Sharing these sob stories with employers, however, is not going to get you the job.
One employer tells of an awkward interview situation that illustrates the point:
"I once interviewed a woman and asked her standard interview questions, such as 'What do you need from a boss?' To this question, she replied: 'I need my boss to be my best friend. I'm so lonely. We just moved here a few months ago, and I haven't made any friends. I need a friend.'"
4. Talk Negatively About Former Supervisors or Positions
It's easy to blame your former supervisor for issues you faced in the workplace. Sure, venting to a friend or family member can make you feel less angry, but do not bring it into a new job. Applicants who speak negatively about former positions, management or colleagues are not perceived positively by employers — it can often raise a red flag in their eyes if you're so quick to dish the dirt. In one instance, a candidate spoke badly of customers to his interviewer and ruined his chances of landing the job:
"I was interviewing a young man for a customer service position. He had worked at a hair salon, and in describing his experience there, he said, 'I had to deal with a lot of old biddies.' Needless to say, that's where his candidacy ended."
5. Act Cocky
Confidence is key on the job search, but cockiness is less than appealing. You certainly don't want to sound like this jobseeker:
"One time a candidate said he was so well-qualified that if he didn't get the job, it would prove that the company's management was incompetent."
What's your biggest interview "don't"? Let us know in the comments.
Social Media Job Listings
Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we've selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
- Web Designer at Popdust in New York
- Social Operations Manager at Vivaki Nerve Center in Chicago
- Manager, Public Relations at New Relic in San Francisco
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, PinkTag, gulfix
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