The interview is a process of conversation between an interviewer and interviewee, which will help the interviewee land his dream job. Without communication, the interview is not possible because it is a regular discussion between two persons who are job seekers and job givers. So, a mutual medium is a communication.
Communication is very crucial in an interview and we can’t stress it more. Communication is the key to landing a job or losing a job. Effective communication is crucial for the interviewee.
It is just in your hand whether you are communicating in a way that gets you a job or not. So when you go for an interview, you must remember that you have to focus on your language and communication. You should not say certain things in an interview, and this article will tell you in-depth details of what not to say in an interview.
Why Speaking Carefully is Very Important in an Interview?
So, the first thing you need to understand is the job profile, your skills, and how you are fit for the job role. You should have this clarity that an interview is a process of knowing you better in a more personal and professional way. The interview is where your interviewer will see if you are a good fit for the job, and your skills, ability, and knowledge. So speaking carefully is a very important and crucial part of an interview. You should be patient, your pulse should be in control, your heartbeat should be balanced, and your breath should be smooth and steady. The interviewer should not get the idea that you are nervous, underconfident, extremely overconfident, or way too excited. One wrong move, to be exact, one bad word can cost you your dream job, which you definitely don’t want.
Your speech is so crucial here. You will be instantly judged for how you speak and how you express yourself. When you talk like “Ummm…. Yeah…..ummm…. Ahhh…” etc., you will immediately be thrashed out from your interview hall. And I know you don’t want that. So be mindful of how you express yourself, and how you are talking to your interviewer because this is what makes you land your job.
Sometimes we all use filler words. And now, filler words are nothing, but when you take a moment of silence to prepare a speech inside your head, that time most of us use filler words like “you know, um, so, huh, Ah, like, uh, right, er, etc.,” Most of us tend to use this during hesitation or when you are pondering yourself. You don’t want to be silent. But do you think it will work? Well, in an interview, you should clear yourself. Your words and expression should be full of clarity, and you should not use these filler words. To prepare/ think of your answer you can choose to take a very-very short gap, but it shouldn’t look awkward, and not too long. Meanwhile, you can also ask the interviewer that “can I drink some water.” This shows your confidence, and you don’t have to use filler words. Another option is to talk slowly so that you have time to think for your next line.
Keep in mind, that you will be judged by how you talk; you should be mindful that you are clearing yourself to your interviewer. Using unnecessary filler words to fill the gap is ridiculous. Don’t do it. That will make you lose your chance to get the job because that shows you hesitation, not being confident, and stuff.
What You Should Not Say in an Interview?
An interview tests your skills, abilities, knowledge, and especially your empathy, sympathy, interpersonal skills, and soft skills. Every move of yours would get noticed. The way you turn, the way you scratch your head, the way you sweat, the way you rub your hands, the way you sit, the way you enter into the room, the way your expression changes, the way your eyes beat for every question that pops on you. Everything… everything about you would get noticed by your interviewer. And communication is not an exception. It is more critical and what you say is your key to getting or not getting the job that is going to settle you down, which is going to get your favorite car, your dream home, your dream vacation to that particular Island. So you get this many benefits and you ought to be careful in your interview.
In that case, what is that particular stuff you should not say in your interview? Well, filler words (umm, ah, like, you know, err, etc.), negative things about your past work or environment or your employer, informal or unprofessional language, information or questions unrelated to the job. Well, let’s dive deep into this in the next section.
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Filler words
I’m stressing this again and again. It is because we all use this. It will make you immature, and the interviewer will feel that you are not a good fit for the job. It makes it hard for the listener to grasp what you are trying to say. So avoid it.
Overprepared answers and cliched answers
Well, attending an interview may be a new thing for you, but it is not new for the interviewer. When you over-prepare yourself and start using this cliched and mundane stuff to your interviewer, he will straightaway send you out. This makes you less grown.
Straightaway saying “I don’t know”
Well, if the interviewer asks you any question out of the blue, you don’t have to panic, and you don’t have to say that you don’t know. You might have already prepared the answer, but you couldn’t grasp it at that point due to the environment. So take your time answering the question instead of saying you don’t know.
Asking about your bonus, salary and vacation
should be avoided. You should not ask for your benefits when you are not hired. This would make you unattractive and arrogant. We understand your hurry but avoid it.
You are asking about promotions
Like the above point, you should not ask questions related to your benefits, which may look arrogant most of the time. This is what said by Josh Tolan, CEO of SparkHire.
When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions for them/him,
don’t say “nope/na/nay/nada/no.” At this point, the interviewer is giving you a chance to ask him a question; you should have prepared to ask them any question. When you say you have nothing to ask, it will show them that you are not interested in it.
You are using an unprofessional informal tone
Even if you get interviewed by a charming person, even if he/she asks you to be free, you should not suppose to cross your limit. Using unprofessional questions will make you look arrogant and whatnot. Don’t cross your boundary.
You are getting so free or a-way too talkative with the interviewer
Always keep in mind, that he/she is your interviewer, not your friend. Don’t be so free with him and start talking rubbish and personal stuff. Maintain your level. Be professional. Sometimes to check your professionalism, the interviewer might ask you some unprofessional questions, but you should be professional and be good.
Don’t order anything
if your interview is happening in any cafe or restaurant or even if the interviewer asks you if you want something to have. You should stop telling them your wishes and instead ask them what he wants to eat. This will show him that you are good at taking the initiative.
Don’t discuss how inexperienced you are. Most fresh grads say these. You have the skills needed for this job. You should maintain your level.
A Few Examples of What Not to Say in an Interview
Let us look at a few examples of what you should not say in your interview.
The relationship between my boss and me was not good.” You should not put negative stuff about your last employer in your interview.
The relationship between my boss and me was not good.” You should not put negative stuff about your last employer in your interview.
“I’m nervous.” Sheepishly showing your fear and nervousness is also a big turn-off in an interview.
“I have everything on my resume.” Well, this mistake is so common we do. If you don’t know or couldn’t create a spot answer, you will immediately call your resume for your rescue. But that’s a huge mistake; the interviewer wants to test you, not your resume.
“I always think outside the circle” well, using this cliched line in an interview is also something you want to avoid.
“Ummm… like….you know” all these filler words should be avoided like the plague. It shows hesitation under confidence.
One line Examples
- “Umm, you know….”
- “I m not experienced.”
- “May I know about my vacation?”
- “Yes,” “No”
- “Cool, that’s great.”
- “What do you do here.”
- “What your company does.”
- “What does your company offer.”
- “I hate my ex-boss.”
- “I hate my ex-HR.”
- “I m a very hard worker.”
- “My work schedule should be flexible.”
- “What will be my bonus for Christmas?”
- “This is not my first choice. I had other options.”
- “I always think outside the box.”
- “No, I don’t have any questions.”
- “I am very qualified than any other person.”
- “You can check my resume.”
- “It’s all in my resume.”
- “What about the happy hour in the company?”
- “OMG, I’m thrilled.”
- “Do you have an unlimited vacation?”
- “When will I get my promotion?”
- “In which cabin will I sit?”
- “I’m a perfectionist.”
- “ To be honest….”
- “It was my ex- employer’s fault.”
- “No, I don’t have that much knowledge.”
- “No, I don’t know.”
- “No, I’m not into that.”
- “I suck at this”
- “I don’t work overtime.”
- “I can’t work with these types of people.”
- “I can’t go out of the city for the job.”
- “I can’t work on holidays.”
- “I hate my previous job.”
- “I’m planning to go on vacation, so I can’t join soon.”
- “I want this much pay scale.”
- “My old boss is arrogant.”
- “I’m in my worst situation.”
- “I have a financial problem now.”
- “I’m dealing with mental issues.”
- “Please, give me a job.”
- “My parents are bedridden; I have to take care of them.”
- “My little sister is studying; I have to pay her school fees.”
- “Just….”
- “Err. I don’t know.”
- “Can I get an office car to go home?”
- “Will you give me a transport fare to reach the office?”
- “Shall I attend this call?”
- “Shall I reply to this text soon and get back to you?”
- “Shall we complete it?”
- “I have an interview in another place as well.”
- “I have a dentist appointment; please wrap it up soon.”
- “Is office romance acceptable here?”
- “Do you provide parties on weekends?”
- “I get so nervous during interviews.”
- “I’m not confident.”
- “I don’t have this skill.”
- “Explain to me about the benefits.”
- “Explain about insurances available here.”
- “Is work from home allowed here?”
- “I can do whatever you ask me to do.”
- “Yes, I know the answer; I have a great answer.”
- “I was the top salesperson in my previous job.”
- “I…umm…increased 2x of our…like…our sales.”
- “I’m planning to start my venture soon.”
- “What the hell?”
- “OMG, cool, Nada.”
- “What the F***”
- “Sorry, I’m late.”
- “I m early, sorry.”
- “I come late on Mondays as it’s Monday blues.”
- “I need every Friday afternoon off as I want to take my girlfriend on a date.”
- “That wot work for me.”
- “I’m not into that.”
- “I like the red color. Can you put my seat cover in red?”
- “I don’t like that department.”
- “I don’t like this work area. Can you change my place?”
- “I was so busy, so I didn’t research about your company.”
- “I have no weakness.”
- “I never get stressed and always work well.”
- “How long will it take for my pyrite?”
- “I can do anything.”
- “This job will help me to build my resume.”
- “This job will strengthen my resume.”
- “How did I perform?”
- “I m superhuman; I can learn anything faster.”
- “What is your payscale?”
- “Will you give AC in my cabin?”
How to Avoid These Mistakes and What can be Used in Place of These?
The words mentioned above and phrases are immature and will probably show you as rude, arrogant, and not so appealing. Instead of using those silly sentences, you can use more appealing and attractive phrases that can probably help you land your job.
- Instead of saying negative stuff about your past or current work, you can use positive sentences. “While I love my current job, I want to expose myself to many things.”
- Instead of saying you don’t know, you can ask permission from your interviewer to give you a bit of time to think and answer.
- Instead of straightaway talking about money, let the interviewer tell you if you are selected for your next round. You can genuinely ask him what you expect to know about the benefits in the following conversion.
Conclusion
Remember that your interviewer should find many reasons to hire you, and you are the only one who can make the best impression. You should not use an informal tone, unprofessional behavior, filler words, slang words, or money questions; the interview should be adequate and not unimpressive. Always be confident while you enter your interview. Instead of getting scared, you can be positive and produce a positive vibe inside the discussion.
