Interview Red Flags: How To Keep Them From Waving

True story: Imagine the shock of a hiring manager when the candidate appeared for the interview with her parents, who said they wanted to sit in and listen to what their daughter had to say. Obviously, that interview never happened.

At Signature Source, our job is to send only top candidates to our corporate clients. Today, we share 10 red flags that in most cases are guaranteed to remove a job candidate from the race for a job.

1. Late arrivals. Hiring managers like punctuality. Candidates should build extra time into the commute to account for traffic. Most importantly, if a candidate knows that he or she will be late, a call to the person conducting the interview is mandatory.
2. First impressions. They do count. So when a candidate shows up in club clothes, keeps sun glasses on during the interview, sports neon-colored hair or has an accessory dog in a purse, chances are a second interview will never happen. One hiring manager still talks about the color of one girl’s thong, seen when the girl bent over to pick up her keys. A word about sunglasses: If the person has a medical condition and must wear shades, that should be made clear before the interview begins.
3. Shake on it. A weak handshake – or one that almost breaks the interviewer’s hand – are both off putting. When it comes to a handshake, practice makes perfect.
4. Ditch the phone. Even glancing at who is calling or texting during an interview will turn off the interviewer. It makes it seem as if the candidate is more interested in his or her personal life than the interview. Phones should stay in cars or be turned off.
5. No hobbies! Did you hear about the person who started knitting during an interview? It’s true! Hobbies are terrific, and in some cases might be calming, but don’t belong in a corporate setting.
6. No food! And that includes gum.
7. Mismatch. Exaggerations or lies on a resume are never wise.
8. More resume mistakes. Misspellings or grammatical errors on resumes and cover letters make the candidate appear sloppy.
9. Correct posture. Slouching in a chair gives the wrong impression. Fidgeting is another no-no. Sit as still as possible, with legs crossed or together, and back straight. And please, make eye contact with the interviewer.
10. TMI. Interviewers don’t want to hear about your divorce, the trouble you had getting out of the house that morning or what happened at the bar last night. Focus on the interview and the job.