Below I have listed 10 Things You Do That Blow The Interview

1. Your Attire

Your interview attire is

• outdated

• messy
• too tight
• to loose (Dress pants shouldn’t look like pajamas)
• slutty (ladies!)
• too revealing

• too flashy.

Sometimes you won’t find these dress codes in writing; but if you look around you’ll find that all employees are dressed in a similar way.

Take note: It is always better to be slightly overdressed than under dressed. However tuxedos make you look like an idiot. Leave that level of swag for  James Bond

 

2. Your Physical Appearance

You look

• stupid (cough* mouth breathers cough* )

• disheveled
• outdated
• sloppy
• smelly

• overpowering (i.e. too much perfume).

You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but a job candidate’s “cover”—overall grooming and interview attire, for example—is likely to be judged by prospective employers, according to a report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

 

3. Your Eye Contact

Your eye contact is

• weak

• shifty
• disrespectful (fellas!)

• intense.

I don’t care how hot your new boss is, DO NOT undress her with your eyes!

4. Your Handshake

Your handshake is

• limp

• too forceful
• clammy

• non-existent

In my personal uncertified opinion,

If you have to choose between knuckle bumping your interviewer and not shaking their hand(s), I’d choose the knuckle bump.

Take notes: Employers indicated that a candidate’s handshake is likely to have a greater influence on their opinion of a candidate than many other more obvious attributes, such as unusual hairstyles and colors, tattoos, and body piercings. However, that doesn’t give you the right to go dye your hair like Marshall Mathers.

 

5. Verbal Fillers

You say

• ah

• um
• like

• ya know

way too much.

You sound like a Valley girl seriously! Ah Kay!

Listen To This Annoying Lady Talk About Crutch Words

 

6. What You Say

You

• talk too much

• use poor grammar
• say inappropriate things (i.e. swearing)
• can’t answer interview questions

• say politically incorrect things

If you say “no homo” or “sike naw” in an interview don’t expect a call back. What are you 14?

 

7. You Come Off As ________

You appear

• overconfident

• pushy
• self-centered
• insecure
• aloof
• ditzy
• scatter-brained
• desperate

• retarded (please don’t dribble during an interview)

 

8. How You Speak

You talk

• too fast

• too slow
• too loud

• too soft.

If you sound like pork pig when you talk. You you you yyyaaaouu aint getting the job. Just sayin’

 

9. Your Odd

You

• giggle

• fidget
• act awkward
• have facial tics
• lack expression

• scratch your balls…

There isn’t really a cure for being weird. I hear being homeless is kinda fun though.

 

10. Your Lacking In Certain Traits

You lack

• sincerity

• self-confidence
• clarity
• individuality
• conviction

• sense of smell (take a shower bro)

 

Figure 1: Candidate physical attributes and their influence on employers, by percent of respondents Attribute No Influence Slight Influence Strong Influence   Grooming 6% 21% 73%   Nontraditional interview attire 13% 38% 49%   Handshake 22% 45% 33% Body piercing 26% 43% 31% Obvious tattoos 25% 46% 29% Nontraditional hair color 26% 46% 28% Unusual hairstyle 30% 49% 21% Earring (male) 54% 34% 12% Beard 73% 22% 5% Mustache 83% 16% 1%   Source: Job Outlook 2006. National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Source: National Association of Colleges and Educators (NACE)

 

So, what have we learned?

93% of communication is non-verbal, so if you want the job and you aren’t getting it reevaluate yourself. Ask someone to be blunt with you. I can tell you that many of the negatives above can be improved by focusing on one thing: Attitude.

Take a hard look at the 10 reasons above and  commit to finding a way to improve your first impression factor.

It’s your career.

Own your actions and take control of your professional development. I promise, employers  will take notice.

Your Turn

If you know someone who think could benefit from reading this or if you learned a little somethin’ somethin’, please share it. We college kids gotta eat too.

Feel free to share any reasons I missed below. Better still, if you’ve got a resource you’ve used that has helped you get over one or more of  these first impression-busters, please share it below so fellow readers can use it as well.

 

Maximillian Garland| Bright Futura Columnist

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