Whether you are an interview expert or looking for advice for your first interview, it is important to think about your behavior during an interview as it is a major representation of you. Here are 6 inappropriate behaviors to avoid during an interview.
Cocky or arrogant
In life, a pinch of arrogance might be appropriate, but it’s inappropriate during a job interview where you are being evaluated not just for the skills you bring to the table, but whether or not you can become a team player. In our recent blog post Confidence vs. Arrogance we talk about the difference between the two. An overly confident attitude may come across as cocky and rub the interviewer the wrong way. Displaying this kind of attitude can diminish your chances of moving forward in the selection process and ultimately affect your overall job search.
Hostility
Hostility in an interview can emerge when the interviewer or interviewee gets defensive, or when emotions are running high. Here are some suggestions on how to keep this inappropriate behavior out of an interview.
- Don’t speak negatively of your past companies, colleagues or supervisors.
- Don’t get defensive if an inappropriate question is asked, side step the loaded question, and move forward.
- Do not correct the interviewer if they do or say something wrong, this may put them on the defense and the interview could go south.
- Sometimes faux pas on the part of the interviewer is part of the interview “test” to see how you will react.
During an interview, you control more than you think. Proactively building your self-confidence, preparing for difficult interview questions and conditions are good interview habits that will help you ensure a positive outcome despite a possibly horrible, angry or hostile interview situation.
Flirting
It is not appropriate to flirt during an interview. There’s a lot of controversy out there about flirting during an interview. Some say that if the flirting is minimum, it is okay. What?! What are you proving to the interviewer? Do not flirt! The interviewer may simply be testing you to see how you react. More likely than not, you may have just misinterpreted a gesture or body language. It is far better if you simply maintain a professional approach, even if the interviewer appears to not be doing the same.
Electronics Use
It’s no wonder that electronic use comes in to question as being inappropriate during an interview when the number of electronics is averaging around 3.5 per person. I am sure most would agree that it is enticing to bring your iPad along with you to your first or second interview, especially if you are wanting to use it to take notes or show off a recent project. However, in spite of the convenience, many hiring managers and recruiters say they’re dissatisfied with an applicant that comes to an interview and opens their electronic device(s) to take notes. Whether it is an iPad or laptop they both create a physical barrier between the interviewer and interviewee, causing the interviewee to look down, losing eye contact with the interviewer. Please keep the electronic use out of any interview.
Language
Be yourself but do not be disrespectful. The interviewer and/or interviewee should never come off as desperate or overly excitable. If you are looking for a way to prove a point, do it with energy, facts and figures. It is never acceptable to use improper or offensive language. You have one reputation, manage it well!
Inappropriate Discussion Topics
We have all been in a situation where asked a strange interview question and aren’t sure if it is “legal”. According to federal law, any question that could reveal your age, disability, national origin, race/ethnicity, religion, sex, military status, genetic information or hereditary background and whether or not you are pregnant is inappropriate.
If you aren’t sure what the laws are in your state or if you are interviewing out of state, search the web for “discrimination, [state name]” to find state-specific laws. In addition, if you are asked an inappropriate question during an interview, although you’d want to do so pleasantly, you should say that you’re not sure what the question has to do with the job responsibilities.
