How You Can Lose a Great Job During the Interview

By Dennis McCafferty | Posted 2016-03-03

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How You Can Lose a Great Job During the Interview

Instead of selling themselves, too many job seekers take themselves out of the running during interviews—sometimes because of their appearance or body language.
Interview Mistake: Fatal Fib

69% of the hiring and HR managers surveyed said a common interview deal-breaker occurs when a candidate is caught in a lie.
Interview Mistake: Take It Outside

68% said potential hires are often eliminated from consideration when they answer a cell phone or text during an interview.
Interview Mistake: Attitude Check

60% of the respondents said candidates often take themselves out of the running by appearing arrogant or entitled.
Interview Mistake: Wardrobe Malfunction

50% said they commonly eliminate potential hires from consideration when they dress inappropriately for an interview.
Interview Mistake: Potty Mouth

50% of the respondents said candidates swear too often during an interview, and that's a deal-killer.
Body Language Mistake: Vision Issue

67% said failure to make eye contact is a common body language mistake that people make during interviews.
Body Language Mistake: Cheer Up!

39% of the respondents said that too many interviewees don't smile during an interview.
Body Language Mistake: Fidget Widget

33% said that job candidates too often play with something on a table while interviewing.
Body Language Mistake: Straighten Up!

30% of the respondents said that many interviewees demonstrate bad posture.
Body Language Mistake: Sit Still!

30% said candidates too frequently shift around in their seats.
Strange Interview Story: Keepsake

One candidate took a family photo off an interviewer's desk and put it in her purse.
Strange Interview Story: Off-Tune

Another interviewee sang her responses to questions.
Strange Interview Story: Tweet This

A candidate came to the interview with a pet bird in his shirt.
Strange Interview Story: Spread the News

One prospect put lotion on his feet during the interview.
Strange Interview Story: Dear John …

This interviewee conducted a phone interview in the bathroom—and flushed.
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Despite the wealth of technology-enabled ways to connect to a potential employer, the traditional in-person job interview remains the "make or break" test for potential hires. After all, there's nothing like looking a manager in the eye and making your best pitch. Unfortunately, instead of successfully selling themselves, too many job seekers take themselves out of the running during these one-on-ones, according to a recent survey from CareerBuilder. For starters, many people avoid eye contact because don't like "looking a manager in the eye," while others don't smile. Then, there are candidates who dress inappropriately, pull out their mobile device to check texts or emails, and/or convey an arrogant attitude during these discussions. Keep in mind that landing a great job involves more than tech know-how: You're marketing your people skills too. "Preparing for an interview takes a lot more than Googling answers to common interview questions," said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder. "Candidates have to make a great first impression appearance-wise … and control their body language." For the purposes of the research, CareerBuilder has divided the mistakes into general job interview blunders and body language-based errors. In addition, the company has included real-life strange interview stories, and we've included some of those here. Nearly 2,600 hiring and HR managers took part in the research.

Dennis McCafferty is a freelance writer for Baseline Magazine.