Between the high stakes, the amount of preparation needed, and the constant influx of questions, a job interview is often tricky. When the stakes are high, it can be easy to get tripped up while trying to answer a question. Even when times are tough, you must rely on your initial work to avoid saying something that could kill your momentum.
Regardless of what type of job you’re interviewing for, there are plenty of answers, comments, or phrases that can tank your candidacy. Prepare yourself to avoid uttering these unflattering answers in your next interview.
“I’ll do anything!”
To demonstrate your value, you’ll naturally want to look like a team player. And it’s always good to look like a passionate worker in for the long haul. But you don’t want to take it too far by saying you’ll do anything. Not only does it make it sound like you’re desperate for a job, but it makes it sound like you might not be interested in that particular role.
The Muse’s Regina Borsellino adds that you should not ask about other open positions, say that you’re actually more interested in another department, or talk to a different recruiter. All of these make you sound uninterested in the actual role that made time to talk to you.
“Say this instead: “I’m passionate about [specific role/task] and believe I could excel there, but I’m also open to other roles where I can contribute effectively.”” –Jermaine L. Murray, CNBC Make It
“I don’t know.”
You’ll be hit with a variety of questions in interviews, and you can’t be expected to know every possible answer. But while humility is admirable, saying a simple “I don’t know” in an interview won’t inspire much confidence.
Even if you actually don’t know, leaving it at that won’t reflect well on your ability to improvise or overcome obstacles. Instead, try to ask clarifying questions and consider what you do know to at least give some sort of answer. Taking a little time to find an answer is better than a quick no answer.
“My last boss was terrible.”
It’s perfectly reasonable that the reason you’re searching for a new job in the first place is because you weren’t happy with your old one. Whether it’s a bad boss or a toxic workplace, the interpersonal element tends to be one of the biggest reasons someone will look to jump ship. But even if that’s true, that’s not what you should bring up with your interviewer.
Forbes’ Sho Dewan points out that the main purpose of an interview is to get to know you better and see if you’re a good fit. They can see your accomplishments and experience on your resume, so they’re looking to see the person behind the resume. If you choose to focus on the negative things about your past, you might be seen as uncooperative or difficult to work with. After all, there are two sides to every story, and they could view you as the reason for discord.
“It’s on my resume.”
Like previously mentioned, the interview is there to compliment your resume so the hiring manager can see the person behind the accomplishments. Yes, they obviously have your resume on hand because the resume is why you got invited to an interview. And the job application process can be extremely frustrating because you’ll be required to type out things already on your resume. But don’t get frustrated and tell an interviewer that an answer is already on your resume.
Your interviewer likely has a broad picture of your accomplishments, but it’s reasonable that they might want to clarify something or ask for specific details. They might want a more detailed picture to see your thought process or want more information on the results. Don’t forget that an interview is about personality and cultural fit, so do your best to be accommodating.
“When your answer to a question is on your resume, it is likely the interviewer is simply looking for further information. Try to answer these questions by using specific examples that prove your experience or skills or explaining how your qualifications are relevant to the position.” –Jennifer Herrity, Indeed
“I don’t have any questions.”
At the end of any interview, you should get the chance to interview the manager back. Remember that you’re interviewing the company as much as they’re interviewing you. You want to make sure it’s somewhere you want to work, right? So this is the perfect time to ask thoughtful questions about the role, the company, the culture, and expectations.
Conversely, not asking any questions is a red flag for an employer. It implies that you might not be overly interested in the role or the company or it might show a lack of preparedness. While you don’t want to ask about things like salary or vacation time in a first interview, you should prepare at least a handful of insightful questions about the role.
Bad words
This one might seem obvious—it’s ill-advised to use swear words in a professional setting such as a job interview. But you might get tripped up on a tricky question and let loose a quick curse. Or you might hear the interviewer drop a curse themselves and think it might be okay to use a light swear yourself. Resist these urges!
Even if the manager says a bad word, they still might view you doing the same as a negative. Work on avoiding foul language by practicing responses to common questions and learning to pause thoughtfully before answering over uttering the first thing to pop into your head.
Wrap up
Doing your research beforehand and taking extra steps in preparation will help you avoid most of these blunders. Stay on topic, do your best to answer the question, and stay professional to ensure you’re providing a valuable answer rather than with something that will lower your reputation with the interviewer.
Before You Go
View Current Job Openings
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Follow NexGoal on X
“Like” NexGoal on Facebook
Connect with NexGoal on LinkedIn