12 Valuable tips on what not to do before and during a job interview

Some experts claim that in a conversation one person can draw conclusions about another in a tenth of a second. And certainly that time is too short to try to make any good impressions on the interviewer when trying to get a job. However, you can prepare ahead of time to make the best possible first impression at an important interview.

We, from awesome.club, we always want the best for our readers, and that’s why we created this post with the most common mistakes people make before and during a job interview. We hope our list can help you. Check out!

Scientists claim that 30% of people hate strong smells, and it doesn’t matter if it’s cigarettes, sweat or even an expensive French perfume. Individuals who have greater sensitivity may experience headache, nausea and even watery eyes in reaction to these scents. Maybe your future interviewer and boss is one of those people, so better avoid it, do you agree?

In order not to disturb others with a strong fragrance, you only need to follow a few tips:

Do not apply perfume and a strong-smelling body lotion at the same time. The difference in aromas can cause sickness🇧🇷 If you sprayed perfume all over your body and noticed that a stain remained somewhere, it means that you overdid it a little and people around you may be bothered by this. Prefer not to eat foods that have a strong smell before an interview, such as tuna, onions, or even hard-boiled eggs.

We can no longer imagine our lives without our smartphones or notebooks, but it’s nice to forget about them the night before a job interview. And all this because of the bright lighting emitted by the screens of these devices. Recently, doctors discovered that the light emitted by the panels of electronic devices not only impairs our eyesight, but also causes insomnia and sometimes even depression.

A tired-looking person with dark circles under their eyes does not make a good impression. Also, due to lack of sleep, your thinking will be harmed and as a consequence you may answer some of the interviewer’s questions wrong. Better to watch series or check social media the next morning, so you can get a good night’s rest.

Susan Joyce, a Human Resources professional with 20 years of experience, created a list of questions that can make your job interview go downhill. And one of the worst mistakes that can be made is trying to flirt with the interviewer or other office worker.

While waiting your turn to be interviewed, better not even try to guess the marital status of your future co-workers, and even less try to invite someone to go for a coffee. The employer will immediately think that for you to find romantic adventures is more important than the work itself.

Reputable HR professionals advise that candidates always try to maintain a more friendly and comfortable tone in the interview, but one should not overdo it. It’s not advisable to talk about your weekend adventures, your mistakes in your youth, or discuss your parents or show pictures of your family members (or pets).

In the end, you never know how the employer might react to your stories (even if they’re funny and interesting to you) — maybe he doesn’t approve of drinking alcohol or even hate cats🇧🇷 Better to keep the focus of the interview on your professional qualities, and leave the personal topics to friends.

Before leaving the house, be sure to pack a bottle of water in your bag. During the interview with the employer it may happen that your mouth gets dry, so water will be of great help.

However, the request for a drink of water could end up distracting the HR professional, and your interview could end up taking a different turn. On the other hand, dry lips can make you look sick or too busy to take care of yourself.

Sweaty palms, a soggy shirt, and a shiny forehead are every interview candidate’s worst nightmare. And that’s not just visually ugly — an extremely sweaty person makes a bad impression. Certainly, people around interpret this as a sign of extreme nervousness, and consequently, lack of confidence. In some cases, this situation can even be interpreted like you’re hiding something🇧🇷

To avoid this problem, you can drink cold water — it helps to lower your body temperature a little. And don’t forget to bring a handkerchief, so you don’t have to wipe the sweat off your face with your hands, and then dry them on your clothes (this inelegant gesture is also easily noticed).

It is better to use a specific email for professional correspondence, such as sending resumes, for example. The email address must be directly related to your real name. This makes it easier for the employer to identify you, and on the other hand, inappropriate nicknames create an impression of unprofessionalism (even if this is not true).

This rule also applies to online interviews, such as Skype, for example. Your nickname on the platform must be easy to read and obviously not refer to no obscene expression🇧🇷

It’s common knowledge that it’s not worth saying the words “I’m sorry/I’m sorry” over and over again, as they make you sound nervous and insecure and this can create an awkward silence. But there are other phrases capable of further worsening your image.

Expressions like “I just wish / I just don’t think / You just couldn’t” give the interviewer every advantage, putting you in a situation of subordination. By saying this, you are already apologizing in advance, even if you haven’t done anything yet.

Even if you are a coffee lover, it is better to drink it for another time. Thermal cups end up becoming a distraction during the interview — by taking a sip, you can get distracted and end up losing focus on the conversation or an important answer, in addition to which your hands will be busy.

Best to bring your business card or a second copy of your resume in case you find yours got lost on the interviewer’s desk.

The day before, check your bag / backpack / briefcase and get rid of everything unnecessary. Imagine you want to hand in yet another copy of your resume or grab a tissue, and you have to dig through your purse for them, having to pull out your house keys, a hairbrush all tangled up in your headphone cable to be able to finally find them. Other than that, all this mess is a sign that you are disorganized, which is unlikely to please the employer, agree?

Drinks and foods that contain caffeine can derail your job interview. First, because this substance ends up causing a release of adrenaline into the bloodstream, which can make your hands sweaty and shaky. And secondly, because it has a diuretic effect and laxative🇧🇷 We know that coffee lovers can’t live without this drink, and we don’t recommend that you stop drinking it completely, we just advise you to avoid drinking it before important interviews.

Even the most perfectionist people make mistakes. When submitting your resume, what makes the worst impression on the employer is not the grammatical errors, but the fact that the candidate didn’t bother in rereading your resume or in checking it in a text editor. The HR professional may consider this a slouch.

Do you know more tips or recommendations to improve people’s performance in job interviews? Share with us in the comments section.