Mastering the essential dos and don'ts of job interview scenarios ensures you project confidence, professionalism, and sincerity to secure your dream career.
Pro Tip: During the interview we must be very careful about things that we should do and should not. Follow proper behavioral rules and professional standards to avoid critical mistakes.
What Are the Essential Job Interview Rules?
Professional communication requires precise etiquette. Understanding proper speech patterns, body language, and document preparation helps you navigate high-pressure questions successfully.
| Dos (What to Do) | Don'ts (What to Avoid) |
|---|---|
| Have research materials in your folder | Use the interviewer's first name |
| Answer in positive terms | Take your jacket off immediately |
| Speak at a normal and controlled pace | Put anything on the interviewer's desk |
What Are the Key Communication Dos for Interviews?
- ✓ We should have some material in our document case or folder even it is just our research into the company and our list of questions.
- ✓ We have to answer in positive terms.
- ✓ We should speak at a normal and controlled pace. Clarity of speech is required.
- ✓ We should slightly understate our desire for the job.
- ✓ We should try to project our sincerity, achievement and enthusiasm.
- ✓ We should ask questions to show that we have done our homework.
- ✓ We should make occasional complimentary and knowledgeable remarks about the company's goods and services.
- ✓ We should listen to what has been told.
- ✓ We have to answer straight.
- ✓ We should think about the structure of the interview.
- ✓ We have to avoid controversial topics that polarise opinion religion, politics and race etc.
- ✓ We should answer a straight 'yes' or 'no' to questions where appropriate, but we must remember that detailed replies will usually be wanted.
- ✓ We should make clear to our interviewer that we can adapt our core skills to the company's needs.
What Are the Major Interview Don'ts to Remember?
- ✖ We should not use interviewer's first name even if they use ours.
- ✖ We should not immediately take our jacket off even on the hottest day unless invited to do so.
- ✖ We should not put anything on interviewer's desk.
- ✖ We should not put up with indignities. If the interviewer is rude, it might be a technique for stress interview.
- ✖ We should not forget the job requirement as set out in the advertisement.
- ✖ We should not be caught out by the occasional, deliberate silence.
- ✖ We should not answer an ambiguous question without asking for clarification.
- ✖ We should not waffle. Talking nonsense is much more dangerous.
- ✖ We should not behave like a politician by answering our own question rather than the one just put to us.
- ✖ We should not assume we are more knowledgeable or skilled than the person interviewing us. We must not be a threat to them.
- ✖ We should not put our needs above the firm's. We have to relate our previous skills be transferable to the job under discussion.
- ✖ We should not play with our watch or jewellery, fiddle with our fingers or buttons, or engage in other distracting mannerisms.
- ✖ We should not name drop- the 'name' might be a personal friend of our interviewer, or they might have been cold shouldered by them.
- ✖ We should not let our interviewer bombard us with an avalanche of questions with no chance to answer.
- ✖ We should not argue with our interviewer. It may be that he or she is playing devil's advocate to see how we react.
- ✖ We should not try to answer a question before the interviewer has finished speaking.
- ✖ We should not let our answers ramble on for too long.
- ✖ We should not string everything together with 'and' or 'but'. We have to give pause, take a breath, add a mental full stop then continue. We must be aware of the 'ums' and 'ers' that pollute speech. We have to avoid using 'you know', 'you see' or Right?' in every sentence.
- ✓ We should avoid like the plague statements such as 'I think', I believe', 'If my memory serves me right.' They add nothing and quickly irritate the listener. We should try also to avoid clichés such as 'basically'; if we must use a similar adverb, we may try 'essentially', 'fundamentally or 'primarily' if only for variety.
- ✖ We should not repeat the question in our answer.
- ✖ We should not lie at interview.
- ✖ We should not give away information about our present employer or it might be thought we would do the same again and that could cost us the job.
Key Takeaways
- Always bring documented research and a list of questions to your meeting.
- Maintain a controlled speaking pace, avoid filler words, and answer questions directly.
- Never argue, lie, interrupt, or disclose confidential information regarding your current employer.
Quick Practice
What is one rule you should follow regarding controversial topics during an interview? Write your answer in the comments below!
FAQ
What should you avoid saying during a job interview?
You should avoid using filler words, clichés like 'basically', and speculative phrases such as 'I think' or 'I believe' that irritate listeners. Furthermore, never lie or share confidential information about your present employer.
How should you handle an ambiguous question?
We should not answer an ambiguous question without asking for clarification.