There are some things that you should keep to yourself during a job interview – even if you’re thinking them. As you’re preparing answers to interview questions it’s equally important to know what the hiring manager will consider a red flag. After all, a wrong move or two, and it won’t matter how great your sales numbers at your last job were.
Lots of different topics come up in job interviews, and conversations go all over the place, but there are 29 words and phrases that should never, ever, come out of your mouth.
1. Nervous'
Sometimes when you’re really nervous, it feels better to clear the air. But in a job interview, it’s best to focus on the positive. The interviewer knows that you’re nervous—show them that you can perform under pressure.
2.'Money,' 'salary,' 'pay,' 'compensation,' etc.
Look, we all know salary is usually the most important factor when deciding whether or not you’ll take the job. But despite the old saying “honesty is the best policy,” in this case it’s usually wise to pretend that’s not the case and hold off on talk of compensation. Asking about the salary during the interview will give the employer the perception that money is all you care about – even if that’s untrue.
'3. Weaknesses' or 'mistakes'
Don't let the interviewer know about your weakness on day 1. He/she might judge you on the same.
'4. Need'
The interviewer needs to know that you want the particular job you're interviewing for -- and that you're a great fit for it. He or she doesn't want to hear about what you need. You might really need that job, but remember that desperation is not appealing.
5.Perks or benefits
Save talk about benefits and perks for the negotiation stage -- that is, after you've gotten a job offer -- or until the interviewer raises the issue. A recruiter for a large computer manufacturer relates that many interviewees ask about "how many free products" they’ll get after they’re hired. But if you ask this question, you'll never get hired.
6.Terrible,' 'horrible,' 'awful,' 'hate,' etc.
If an interviewer asks about a problem you faced at your previous employer, she is more interested in your ability to solve the problem than the actual problem. A lot of times people just use the ‘challenges faced question’ to criticize their former boss or the team they used to work with. Even if they were horrible, you have to include that key word ‘BUT,’ and then move on from there about what you did to succeed in that environment.
'7. Fine'
If the job interview says, “How are you?” how do you respond? Stating that you’re ‘fine’ is so vague, not to mention way overused and it can come off as dishonest or being dismissive. Use another word to describe how you really are. Nothing negative!
8. 'S---,' 'b----,' 'f---, ' etc.
Lose the slang when talking to an interviewer. You want to come across as polished and professional, and you don’t want them to have to dig out their urban dictionary to understand you. Bad words should not also appear in a job interview. Even if the hiring manager swears up a storm, it's not a good idea. Show your language skills by using actual words to describe your feelings and situations.
9. 'Um,' 'so,' 'like'
That old saying, “If you don’t have anything to say, don’t say anything at all,” applies here a big. Rather than hemming and hawing while you try to think up an answer, just be silent and think. Saying er or um too much could make you seem unprepared or as though you’re not paying attention.
10.'Sorry'
This has become another filler word i.e. ‘um’ ‘like’ ‘just’ or ‘so’ and makes you look indecisive or too passive as well as lacking confidence.
11.'Divorced,' 'pregnant,' 'sick,' etc.
People say it in order to emphasize how much they need the job and to try to get the hiring manager to be compassionate. But this is the wrong emphasis. You should be focusing on how you'll help the company out. Steer clear of anything that invites an interviewer to give you sympathy.
12.'Actually'
Prefacing sentences with this word, as in, 'Actually, I didn't work on that account,' or 'Actually, you can do it this way,' puts distance between you and the listener by hinting that they were somehow wrong.
13.'Just'
Adding "just" as a filler word in sentences — as in, "I just think that ..." — may seem harmless, "but it can detract from what you're saying."
14.'Vacation' or 'holidays'
Even before you begin your work asking about holidays puts you in bad light. Just like the salary conversation, this should be addressed at a later time. Vacation days, after all, are part of your overall compensation package.
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