Top Five Interview Clangers!

The following article has been taken from www.hrlook.com and I thought it would be of interest to all the job hunters out there!

"We've all heard the stories - the candidate who answered their mobile during an interview and said 'You don't mind if I take this do you and can I have some privacy?' Then there's the interviewee that actually said he didn't want the job for long, just until he'd raised enough money to go travelling! These are just some of the genuine blunders commonly reported by leading interviewers in major corporations in the UK.

Sarah Drew, General Manager of TheLadders.co.uk is a regular interviewer and can testify firsthand that some people just don't have a clue when it comes to going for an interview. 'Sometimes the most able candidate on paper can shoot themselves in the foot when you actually meet them. What you as the potential employer has to do, is assess how much of it is just interview nerves and how much of it is indicative of their inability to do the job!'

Drew goes on to say: 'In the current climate where no job is for life and redundancies are rife, it is more important than ever to shine in an interview and stand out from other competitive interviewees.'

According to users of TheLadders.co.uk, some of the most outrageous interview gaffes include:

1. Inappropriate clothing. Yes a boob tube has been recorded as the most unsuitable garment worn to an interview
Sarah Drew says: 'Make sure your attire is suited to the organisation you are going to, if in doubt, Keep it smart - a black suit never fails'

2. Lying. When a candidate said they spoke fluent French, they were speechless when the interviewer suggested continuing in French!

Sarah Drew says: 'while it may be OK to gloss over certain details you may not want to flag up as the high points in your career, blatantly lying could land you in hot water, as if found out, you'll lose your integrity and the job offer.

3. Slating past employers or colleagues. When a candidate said he'd hated working for his previous boss as he had no management skills, he didn't bank on his interviewer being related to him

Sarah Drew says: 'Speaking negatively about past employers/colleagues communicates bad team spirit and shows unprofessionalism. If you can't say anything good, say nothing at all.'

4. Acting desperate. After a bad interview a candidate said to his employer: 'Ok that didn't go well, but if you have any other jobs going I'm quite good at database management'

Sarah Drew says: 'Don't underestimate yourself, have confidence in your ability and be positive, if you think you can do the job they will have faith that you can too. If you want to analyse how it went, call a friend afterwards.'

5. Being unprepared. On getting to his interview a candidate promptly introduced himself to the Marketing Director only to find he had walked in to the company next door to one he was interviewing for. On being asked what he could bring to the role and the company, an interviewee replied 'What is it that you do again?'

Sarah Drew says: 'Do your research! If you go unprepared it shows a lack of effort on your part and reeks of disinterest, not to mention aptitude.'"

What have been your biggest interview mistakes? Share them with us today!