Being sloppy
Your résumé is your first contact with HR or recruiters, Rosalinda
Oropeza Randall, anetiquette and civility expert and the author
of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom," tells Business Insider.
And typos, grammar mistakes, and formatting issues will
land it in the "no" pile within a few seconds.
"If your résumé is sloppy, they'll assume you are, too," she says.
Smoking and drinking
Never smoke anything before a job interview, says Vicky Oliver,
author of "301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions" and
"Your interviewer will smell it on you," she says. "If she's a smoker,
she may not mind, but most interviewers gave up the nicotine habit."
Drinking before the interview is also a bad idea. While alcohol can help
calm nerves, it does so by dulling the senses, Oliver says, and you run
the risk of not sounding intelligent.
Texting while waiting
It's a good idea to arrive a little early to your interview, but be careful not to let boredom get the best of you.
Texting while you wait will make you look as if you would rather
be elsewhere, Oliver says.
Most waiting areas have magazines, Randall notes, and if you see a
company brochure, even better. Reading that will reflect your
interest in the company.
Dressing too casually
As they say, dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
"Sloppy clothes scream 'I don't care!' and are a surefire way to
put off those around you,"Randall says.
And dressing too formally for an interview can tell an employer
that you didn't research the company culture and you're not a fit.
Projecting a bad attitude
"If you doubt your abilities or see only the worst possible outcome,
your interviewer might pick up on that negative energy," Haefner says.
"Similarly, it's important not to badmouth a former boss, coworker,
or employee during any stage of the interview process," she says.
"Even if your former boss or organization is known for its problems,
a job interview is no time to express your anger."
Another bad attitude, arrogance, is often confused with confidence.
Walk into the interview with a mix of confidence and humility, smile,
and show some enthusiasm, Randall says.
Swearing
You may be really excited to be interviewing with your top choice for employer, but blurting out foul language is a surefire way to cut the interview short.
Swearing demonstrates to others that you aren't able to calmly and thoughtfully deal with a situation, Randall says.
"Using foul words or questionable language is not only a bad habit, but in most places of business, it's still considered unprofessional and can even land you in Human Resources for a little chat," Randall says.
Not being gracious
As Business Insider managing editor Jessica Liebman writes, one of
the biggest mistakes you can make when competing for a new job is
not saying "thank you" after an interview.
"Whether we spent 30 minutes meeting in the offices, we Skyped
because you're abroad for your junior spring semester, or we did a
quick first-round phone interview, you should always follow up
later that day or the following day to say thanks and reiterate your
interest," Liebman says.
A few things happen when you don't send a thank-you email. The
hiring manager assumes you don't want the job. They think you're
disorganized and forgot about following up. And there is a much
higher chance they'll forget about you.
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