A lot of my blogs in the past have highlighted my personal top tips in an interview scenario, the right questions to ask, the right kind of answers to respond to interviewer questions, the expected etiquette of interviewees, the right way to prepare and the right way to present.

This week, I thought I’d do something a little different.

I want to share with you some things you should NOT be doing. The WRONG things to ask. Here are my top five;

What does your company do?

Believe it or not, I’ve been asked this during a candidate interview before, it’s safe to say it didn’t end well.

Remember, preparation is key. If you’re applying for a role within a business, but do not understand what the business actually does, who their competitors are, who they’re targeting – how can you sell yourself? In order to exemplify how you can add value to the business, you need to give examples, and to give examples you need to understand what it is they’re trying to achieve!

  I know I’m really late, sorry

The interview is your chance to make a first great impression. Being late isn’t going to do that.

The interviewer wants to know just how important this meeting is for you, and wants to feel as though you’re prepared and ready to wow them.

Do you really think an interviewer wants to employ a candidate who turns up an hour late? What do you think that projects? To me, it says you can’t be bothered, and you’d rather be elsewhere. Plus, if you’re late for the first interview, I’ll assume you’d continue to show further poor time management.

I just need to take this call quickly

No. Just no. Taking a call during a meeting is ALWAYS a bad idea. Firstly, it’s rude – you should be giving your interviewer your undivided attention. Secondly, it illustrates lack of interest, lack of focus and lack of professionalism.

I just need a job

We do not want to be a last resort. When applying for a job you need to show passion and determination. There’s no shame in needing a job, it is of course a necessity in life. However, this isn’t something you should be sharing during an interview scenario. Candidates who sound as though they really want the job, and illustrate thirst for challenge and the ability to add value will be the successful ones.

  Nope – no questions

Typically, an interviewer will purposely leave out some detail surrounding the role or the business so you have some probing material to discuss once the initial interview process has finished. When asked if you have any other questions, the golden rule is, always say yes. You need to show your intrigue here! Don’t let all that preparation go to waste – if you read something interesting about the business, for example if they recently acquired a new team, or won an award, ask them about it. This is your time to show how hard you’ve worked, and why you deserve to get the job.

There are so many more I’d love to share with you, but I’ll let you ponder these for now in the hope they’re helpful. What’s the worst thing you’ve experienced in an interview? Let me know!