You Smell Nice: 3 Things To Avoid During An Interview
By TS Admin | Published On March 18, 2019In the past week, we all followed the conversation that ensued between an interviewer and the interviewee as narrated by the interviewer on Twitter.
While many people have weighed in on the many possible scenarios that could arise from such situations, our team has decided to help job seekers/applicants through the list of 3 things they shouldn’t do during an interview process.
The internet and many books around us are littered with so many Dos of the interview session and we are aware none of them anticipated the “you smell nice” scenario or how an interviewer would interpret a harmless gesture of an applicant or interviewer.
It must be stated clearly that while the compliment was not a rude one, it was completely inappropriate to say. This must be noted as the setting that was formal and the interviewer was not an acquaintance of the interviewee. Also, while there are no rules of thumb to possible small talks in a formal session, another interviewer might have responded differently to such compliment. In our opinion, it does not mean that either of the interviewers is better at the job than the other. It suffices to say that we all will respond to issues differently even when the conditions are the same.
In such situations, it is easier to make excuses for either party on the basis that we are not privy to what they had gone through in the moments leading to the interview.
As you read through these 3 things not to do during your interview session, remember that we are only urging you to be careful and not carefree. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
1. Don’t Share your Personal Opinion unless you are asked: The interview session is structured to allow your prospective employer know of your ability and the probability of what you will (can) deliver if you eventually get the job. This is to say that they are more concerned about your professional capabilities and sometimes, can bother about your attitude and all. It is not usually a place to express your “personal feelings” about things. It is strictly to be about your abilities. However, you can share your personal thoughts when directly asked to do so. While doing this, make sure you stay the course of the question, don’t get agitated and avoid being reckless.
Just like we said in the opening paragraph, no one can predict how someone will interpret your messages your gestures and there’s no uniform way of handling an interview session.
2. Avoid Reciting your CV: Unless you’re attending a walk-in interview session that recruiters now do for their clients, your interviewer would have gotten the opportunity to take a good look at your CV. When you sit at the table across your interviewer, you would do yourself a lot of good to share the exploits you have done that are not recorded in your CV instead of reciting what you have written before. Most of the times, your CV had made the needed impression and that’s why you are going through that session. Focus your energy on reeling out your successes in other spheres that have direct correlation with your personal skills.
3. Don’t “Inflate” your Abilities: I have read CVs that looked too good to be real and the end, were too good to be real. People sometimes forget, or say, choose to believe that if they can lie their way in, the cost of hiring and firing would make it difficult for the firm to lay them off if they are not performing as promised. This is not only a very big risk; it hampers your relationship with employers/recruiters. While pimping your CV to be attractive, remember not to include certifications you have not earned or skills you don’t have. Also, when responding to questions at the interview session, don’t exaggerate your abilities. It is always good to under-promise and over-deliver instead of the other way round.
It is important to note that this list is not exclusive and exhaustive. We would like to hear from you. You can share tips for interview sessions with us or share your experiences with us. You can do this through our social media channels or use the comment box.
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