What Not to Do on an Interview

[HereComes30]

Being a recruiter for a number of years, I could probably list dozens and dozens and dozens of these. But here is one that just occurred....

Do not arrive 30-45 minutes early for an interview unless you are instructed to do so. This candidates interview was scheduled for 10:30 and she arrive at 9:50. Makes us feel bad because they are sitting out there staring at the wall and I would think it would make the candidate nervous too. If you do arrive that early due to light traffic or whatever, then sit in your car and listen to some music or do last minute prep for the interview (ie review your resume, review info on the company, prepare questions to ask)

Which makes me think of a second "what not to do on an interview"...

Do not arrive without questions to ask. You mean after just two short conversations of 15 minutes and 30 minutes there is nothing you want to know about me or about the company? At least fake it. It shows interest, shows preparedness, shows attention to detail, shows inquisitiveness and going the extra mile. Have 4-6 maybe as many as 10 questions prepared. That way if half of them get answered you can still ask one or two. No need to ask all of them too by the way.

Thought this might be helpful especially since the person I just interviewed probably will not get the job because of these two things. Unless the next person interviewing them LOVES her and cancels out my vote.

[paiger81]

Honestly, I have never asked a question at an interview. I mean, in the 15-30 minutes of talking to possible employer, I can't gauge shit any better than they can. Kind of glad that has never held me back from a position I truly wanted :huge:

[wordsmith]

I tend to try to always get everywhere a good twenty minutes early, job stuff included. It makes me more calm to have some downtime to just breathe and collect my thoughts, rather than rushing in down to the wire. I won't usually go into where I'm supposed to be more than 10 minutes early, though, regardless of how early I arrived.

I've also usually got questions when I interview for a job, because every job I've every interviewed for has been for a field I've never worked in. So there's lots to ask.

Having participated in quite a few interviewing processes for new employees, I'd throw in as my pick for what not to do interrupting the interviewers. I'm amazed at how many people do this. I know they just get anxious and nervous, but jumping in and cutting off the interviewers is annoying.

[midtwenty]

Dude, maybe she took the bus or had to catch a lift from a friend or something. Don't knock her because she was early. Hell, wouldn't you rather she was early than late?

[Kitty]

I am occasionally guilty of being early. But never 30-45 minutes. If I do get there that early, I usually just wait in my car. But I usually show up 15 minutes early. I'm just anal about that.

I always think of a lot of questions to ask and usually ask questions in my thank you emails too. I honestly believe that my curiosity when interviewing for my first job out of college is what got me the job.

[winneythepooh7]

I've always asked questions on interviews because I like to know what I am getting into. I ask the interviewer to describe some typical days at work, and some of the major problems they run across. I also will ask questions about the benefits package to fill up time. But I think SW interviews are probably drastically different from other fields. I know in some fields it would be inappropriate to ask these kinds of questions unless you know you are actually going to get the job. Bottom line, I think it just comes down to if the interviewer likes the potential employee and feels they will mesh with the team.

[wordsmith]

Early is far better than late. As a trusted mentor always used to tell me, "Ten minutes early is on time. "On time" is late. "Late" is inexcusable." I think there's nothing at all wrong with being early.

Unless you are picking me up for a date. Then I don't want you there early.

[wordsmith]

I ask the interviewer to describe some typical days at work

I ALWAYS ask this.

[wordsmith]

Actually, interestingly, I do interviews for work (not job applicant interviews, but interviews in the reporting sense). I'm fine if the people I'm interviewing show up early, but I WILL. NOT. take them untill it is the agreed upon time. I'm usually not ready for them, otherwise. However, I feel pressured by my receptionist that if somebody comes a half hour early, I should see them a half hour early, because she doesn't want them up in the lobby. Tough! Just because you come early doesn't mean you're going to be seen early. Hell, when I get to my dentist's on TIME, I still wait a half-hour for him to get to me.

[samender]

I am an early person in general. I know a few times i might have been close to 30 minutes early cause the job I was looking at was further away and I thought traffic would be heavier. I think I always wait in my car and usually go in about 10 minutes early. I do this in case there is an interview ahead of. I know I try to ask questions but a lot of time I have taken in so much I can't think of what else to ask. This might be because I generally get so excited about a new position and even if there are negatives aspects to it or things I am not clear on I am looking more at the fact I have an opportunity at possibly getting this new thing. I will definitely pay more attention to this in the future as I am not sure how much I really did think about it in the past.

[wordsmith]

I always have a notepad and write things down during the interview. It looks conscientious. It also is a good place to glance at questions you've jotted down beforehand.

[Kitty]

Early is far better than late. As a trusted mentor always used to tell me, "Ten minutes early is on time. "On time" is late. "Late" is inexcusable." I think there's nothing at all wrong with being early.

Unless you are picking me up for a date. Then I don't want you there early.

I agree. Being late is absolutely horrible. I've been late before and it was causing me to have a heart attack. The problem is that I gave myself 2 hours to get somewhere and the traffic was so insanely horrible that it really ended up taking me more like 3. I felt bad, but I called to let them know what was up. I didn't get the job, but those fuckers stole all the creative ideas I gave them during the interview.

[HereComes30]

Dude, maybe she took the bus or had to catch a lift from a friend or something. Don't knock her because she was early. Hell, wouldn't you rather she was early than late?

No excuse. I am just giving you the perspective from a seasoned recruiter who has gotten the same feedback from dozens of other recruiters. 10 minutes early? Fantastic...shows punctuality. 30+ early and it shows desperation or poor time management.

Ok...here is another for you...

Cell phones...I see this more and more. Turn them off during an interview and don't sit in the lobby talking loudly on one. This is one that you would think is common sense, but the conversations I have heard while someone is sitting in the lobby thinking no one can hear them has resulted in people not getting hired. I have even had people just answer their phone during an interview and not evne ask permission. Leave them in the car. If you are expecting a baby any minute or someone is in surgery or something like that, then just tell the recruiter the situation in the beginning and we will understand. But still keep the phone on vibrate.

[midtwenty]

No excuse. I am just giving you the perspective from a seasoned recruiter who has gotten the same feedback from dozens of other recruiters. 10 minutes early? Fantastic...shows punctuality. 30+ early and it shows desperation or poor time management.

No excuse? Desperation or poor time management? Wow I think you're really being a hardass. Unless you were stalking the parking lot and know for a FACT that she drove herself to the interview, why is it so difficult to give her the small benefit of the doubt? Perhaps she had to take the bus and that was the only route that would get her there on time. Maybe her car broke down the day before and she had to beg a ride, and that was the time she had to be dropped off so that she didn't make someone ELSE late. If she did drive herself, isn't it possible that she lives quite a distance away and misjudged the time it would take to get there? Who says the AC in her vehicle works? Maybe she got there early and didn't want to sit in her car for 20 minutes sweating her ass off and come in to the interview with her makeup running and smelling like a pig.

I mean, yeah, I'll definitely give it to you that some people are just fucking stupid and clueless about job interview rules. But I also think you've got to cut people SOME slack - especially when you don't know them, know anything about them, and have no idea what their life is like. You can't judge everyone by the same set of standards. Regardless of how early she was, you should have been able to tell during the interview itself if she would be a likely candidate for the position, which it sounds like you were because you're also pissed that she didn't ask any questions. But you're going to deny her based partially on her earliness? Damn man.

And quite frankly, considering the list of stupid shit that people will say and do during job interviews, showing up a half hour early is pretty low on the list IMO.

[tdko]

I've also heard that good candidates will mention the company's name a few times during the interview. Just using the name in a sentence improves your chances. Weird, huh?

I once read that the one word people love to hear most is their name. Guess it works for companies too.

[wordsmith]

I'm with mid. I think that most employers wouldn't be critical of an employee showing up a half-hour early for work, so why be critical of them showing up a half-hour early for the interview. There are lots of reasons, like mid mentioned, and as long as they're not leaning on the receptionist to let them in early, who cares?

[Kitty]

I've also heard that good candidates will mention the company's name a few times during the interview. Just using the name in a sentence improves your chances. Weird, huh?

I once read that the one word people love to hear most is their name. Guess it works for companies too.

I've also answered questions w/ the tone that I am already working there. Like, "As Marcomm spcialist i'd do x and x and x" ..I think that helps employers visualize you in the position.

[capella]

One question I always ask is, Who is your ideal candidate? It usually catches them off guard a bit and they have to think for a second or two. And in almost all of the interviews I've been in... the interviewer doesn't really tell you who they want and what qualities they want. I usually listen and let them say their fill and then respond with examples or reinforce how I am that candidate, how I personify that candidate. And it also tells me when I wouldn't be interested in the job AT ALL. This has never failed me once :)

[paiger81]

No excuse. I am just giving you the perspective from a seasoned recruiter who has gotten the same feedback from dozens of other recruiters. 10 minutes early? Fantastic...shows punctuality. 30+ early and it shows desperation or poor time management.

You have got to be kidding me. What if this chick isn't from your area, and had to drive hours to get to your location? I mean, yeah, maybe she could have waited in the parking lot, but geez, your attitude makes you sound like a bitter "seasoned" recruiter. How quickly you forget what it's like to be unemployed and eager for work :googly:

[wordsmith]

I also can't imagine an employer that would frown upon conscientiousness. What does it hurt to be sitting in the lobby going over notes or whatever? I would think that factoring in time to mentally prep for an interview would be an asset?

[Kitty]

Also, whats so horribly wrong w/ being overly-eager and overly-prepared?

[HereComes30]

I don't forget what it is like to be job hunting. Heck it seems like I do it every 2 years or so. She lives close by, she knows exactly where we are located, and she drove herself and has a car. All were addressed in the initial phone screen. Let me ask you this...have you ever worked in HR before? Specifically in recruiting? I have in 4 diferent companies now and in all 4 companies you were not given bonus points for arriving that early for an interview and the comment by hiring managers or other recruiters was always "damn...my candidate is here soooo early!" Your interview begins the second you walk into the building. Many people do not consider that. I have had receptionists give me vital feedback about a person that was sitting in the lobby that caused that person to not get hired.

Capella....great question to ask! I also like to ask "why are you with the company? What do you like best and least about working here?" Sometimes the person interviewing will actually vent and you get a true insiders view of the company. I also like to ask questions of the receptionist while waiting as long as she is not swamped with work. Even observing people in the parking lot prior to an interview can be valuable information. Are people walking in happy? Are they all standing outside and smoking? What do people wear to work? When do they arrive or leave? Do a lot of people seem to bring lunch back to the office? Or does no one seem to leave at lunch time despite no one site lunch facility?

[HereComes30]

Also, whats so horribly wrong w/ being overly-eager and overly-prepared?

Alot! First impressions are most important. Use the parallel of a date...what would be your reaction if on the first date the person arrived way early and was overly eager? It would freak you out, it would not impress you, it would send up warning flairs, and you would probably not see the person a second time around. No different for an employer. There is a big difference between being overly eager and being professionally agressive to pursue a position that you really want. IMO

[paiger81]

In my company, clearly on my review it states that my always being at work early is a sign of a "true go-getter" and that I am a "dedicated employee". But hey, apparently with my 6 years of experience in marketing, I guess I've never worked for such seasoned employers :googly:

[wordsmith]

I have had receptionists give me vital feedback about a person that was sitting in the lobby that caused that person to not get hired.

Wow, maybe your receptionist should seriously consider getting on the HR payroll.

[Kitty]

Eek, I don't think I'd want to work for you!

[wordsmith]

Use the parallel of a date...what would be your reaction if on the first date the person arrived way early and was overly eager? It would freak you out, it would not impress you, it would send up warning flairs, and you would probably not see the person a second time around. No different for an employer. There is a big difference between being overly eager and being professionally agressive to pursue a position that you really want. IMO

Since I'm the one who initially brought up the date parallel, I'll answer that. It wouldn't freak me out if a date was early, it would make me feel tense that another person was sitting in my house while I was doing my last minute finishing touches to prepare for seeing them. I'm seriously doubting that the emotional stakes are the same when you're an interviewer preparing to interview a prospective employee, and I'm also doubting that they're sitting in your living room expectantly while you fly around looking for earrings and tripping over yourself. Isn't the lobby FOR waiting? It's not like the applicant is standing in front of you tapping his or her toe.

And what is the field you're hiring for where being overly eager is a liability, rather than an asset?

[J-girl]

Honestly these kinds of things piss me off- being eager is bad? Being passive is bad?

Here's my question Herecomes30- whats your opinion on people who follow up on their resume? Do you pick out their resume and throw it in the garbage?

[HereComes30]

Depends on the follow up. There are the people that send a nice thank you letter after an interview which is major bonus points and typically results in a further review of their resume which by default puts it on the top. Then there are the people that follow up by calling every day or multiple times during the day, send multiple emails and are just a flat out pest. I have even had people call me, call our receptionist, call the hiring manager, call any other contacts they can find and leave messages just days after an interview when they were told they would hear something in a couple of weeks. While it is tempting to throw the resume away, it is just filed with the thousands of others. There is indeed negatives to being over-eager.

Keep in mind I am not saying that some of these things are deal breakers in and of themselves. They are taken in conjunction with the rest of the interview. Maybe it is just a PA thing based on the feedback on here. But I have talked to, interacted with, and worked with hundreds of HR professionals and the feedback is the same based on their stories and experiences of what employers do not like to see and what is not seen as a positive.

[analogman]

Questions for HereComes30: What industry do you work in and are you a HR person?

In all the jobs I have interviewed for and candidates I have interviewed since starting work, the hiring manager does the interviewing/deciding. HR is not involved in the decisions at all; they just do the paperwork. I have never heard of HR people interviewing before.

Thanks!

[J-girl]

Okay so if managers interview and payroll clerks take care of payroll, the question remians "WHat do HR people DO?!?!?!" :D

[paiger81]

You know what's funny? I have only been interviewed by an HR Director once. He was the biggest prick I had ever met, complete pompous ass. Yet I still got hired.

6 months later, he got fired for stealing funds from the company.........interesting, huh?

[HereComes30]

Questions for HereComes30: What industry do you work in and are you a HR person? In all the jobs I have interviewed for and candidates I have interviewed since starting work, the hiring manager does the interviewing/deciding. HR is not involved in the decisions at all; they just do the paperwork. I have never heard of HR people interviewing before.

I have worked in banking, manufacturing, nonprofit, retail, and consulting all in HR. While there are always hiring managers involved, from my experiences, recruiting/HR also does interviewing. Typically, again in my experience, HR will verify information on the resume, ask some of the questions related to cultural fit and core competencies whereas the hiring manager will ask more of the specific questions that are specific to the technical nature of the position.

Some organizations do have HR departments that are strictly paper pushers. Some are seen as a more strategic partner in the process. The more strategic HR is considered and the more aligned they are with their business lines the more their feedback weighs in the final analysis of who gets hired. And sometimes, if you don't get by HR then you never even talk to a hiring manager which saves the hiring managers from talking to unqualified people and allows them to focus on doing what they are paid to do.

I would say that all of places I have worked, I being in HR could say to the hiring manager, "don't hire this person" and that would be the end of the process. But yet could say "I would recommend hiring this person" and they pick someone else because the final decision came to those that controlled the budget and would manage that employee.

I know it can be a lot different depending on the part of the country you are in as well as the industry, size of the company, and if it is a satellite of a company or the corporate HQ. An HR friend of mine lived in Denver for awhile and he said HR at almost every company there was very process and paper focused and not seen as strategic at all. But many companies in the eastern part of the US seem to be more strategicly aligned with HR.

[tina1979]

I was interviewed by HR, the supervisors, and the manager of the division I was interviewing for. The HR interview was more of a hey this is a little about the job and your benefits. Are you sure you want to interview for this position. Do you have any questions about benefits. She was just sort of the preliminary. If she didn't like me i wouldn't have made it past her to the sups.

[analogman]

HereComes30, thank you for your response :) It is very different from what I am used to and always good to learn how things are done elsewhere.

J-Girl, my impression is that at my work HR does resume gathering/sorting (though hiring managers can/do get resumes through other sources). Where I work, once a resume gets to the hiring manager's desk, HR is no longer involved in the hiring decision. HR is there in case you have a problem or something like that. They seem to be mostly paper-pushers (not that it's good or bad).

[wordsmith]

Nobody from HR hires here. The publisher and general manager do it as a team. I get to be in on it if we're hiring a writer, too (and, as an aside, none of the three of us would discount an applicant if he/she came early). We don't even have HR onsite, and in our corporate office, I'm pretty sure that our HR department consists of Tina the Headhunter, who goes out recruiting if nobody applies for one of our open positions.

[Taza Tikha]

You all are being too hard on HereComes30. He can't keep a job but he sure knows how to get one. I guess.

I'm not a seasoned professional with years and years of experience who has worked with hundreds of HR people (after all, I'm just a lowly QLCer), but I have had exactly one job post-graduation. It was the first one I interviewed for.

And I was early. And as far as I know, no one was spying on me in the parking lot and the receptionist was busy doing other stuff, not taking notes to report to HR (whom I didn't interview with).

But all advice is equally welcome here, and as a tolerant member of society, I must respect that.

[paiger81]

You all are being too hard on HereComes30. He can't keep a job but he sure knows how to get one. I guess.

((((snickers))) That is like the funniest line on the boards today :huge:

[HereComes30]

Funny to some....but also the kind of personal slams that mods typically enforce on here! Cheap shot and based on a lack of information of the circumstances. No surprise that Paiger liked it.

[Drufus]

It took me 21 interviews to get my first post college permanent job. I would say that I had left about 10 or so of those interviews with very negative thoughts on the company. Some of them are:

Interview schedualed for 1. I arrive at 12:50. HR girl finally comes out at 1:30 and says, "sorry, i was eating my lunch" SORRY!!!!!???? SHE is the one who made the appointment. I don't think it takes a half hour to eat, so she probably started after I got there. I was terribly offended. Didn't want to work there

Kept waiting for another interview for a half hour. HR woman says she had a conference call. Then I waited for 15 minutes to meet with a guy after her. Then I had to wait 45 minutes for the hiring manager!!!!!!! I tried to walk out a few times, but kept getting reasured "just a few more minutes" I know things pop up during the day, but come on, YOU made the appointment, keep it.

those are all the horror stories I feel like typing for now. Hell, I went on 21 interviews before landing a job. If anyone wants me to break down all of them for you and the reasons why i didn;t get the job, or why i didn;t want the job let me know. Also how I got the job on lucky 21.

[Kitty]

Drufus -

I agree, getting a job is a freakin' nightmare. I think I went on like 12 interviews before I got this job. I kind of don't mind though, I mean, I ended up with a job that is a perfect fit - so, I think sometimes it just takes a lot of looking. I got offered jobs, but they weren't right. It is important to keep in mind that 1/2 the interview is YOU interviewing the employer. So, if the freakin' employer is going to hold it against you for being early - do YOU want that job? I sure as hell don't.

[shimmer728]

Well, shit. It's a good thing I don't want to work at 30's company. As someone who's always eager and usually early, I'd get blacklisted right away!