American hirin
g managers have reported their pet peeves when it comes to job interview no-no’s. Top of the list is ditch the cell phone.
You are almost guaranteed you won’t get the job if you stop in the middle of an interview to answer the phone or text a message.
Job candidates also have a better chance if they dress appropriately, at least act interested and aren’t arrogant.
Hiring managers in the U.K. cited many of the same transgressions in their job interviews, according to a poll of 138 managers for Maris Interiors LLP, a UK specialist in workplace design and creation.
Our friends across the Pond, however, also gave examples of behavior that gave even us pause :
- One candidate showed off his scar
- One repeatedly called the interviewer “Mum”
- One filed her fingernails throughout the interview
- A job applicant for a social media specialist position surprised a hiring manager by announcing he was live-Tweeting the interview. (He didn’t get the job.)
“I always advise interview candidates to prepare hard, and wear a dark suit, white shirt and plain tie,” said Michael Howard, chairman of Maris Interiors. “It had never really occurred to me to advise people not to send text messages or show their scars!”
Do you have an iPad? Download the Orange County Register’s iPad app after 6 p.m. Monday, June 6, and check out our package on “Landing that job.”
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