You said What?

Any hiring manager who has been around for awhile could write a book about the amusing and inappropriate things said in interviews. We all know someone who frequently sticks their foot in their mouth and seems to have no internal censor. If this sounds like you, take a few moments to learn what topics you should avoid in interviews.

• What is the pay/salary for this position? - Although the answer to this question may be a determining factor in whether or not you will want to pursue this job, pay should always be brought up first by the hiring manager. If they ask you what your salary goals are, give them a reasonable range based on the standard within the industry in that particular city.



• Be aware of your grammar - Avoid slang and keep the conversation formal. Change “yea” to “yes”, “thanks” to “thank you”, and “hi” to “good morning/afternoon”, etc. Leave the casual out of the conversation throughout the interview process. And absolutely no profanity.



• Avoid obvious questions about the company - Don’t waste the hiring managers time by walking into an interview without knowing anything about the company. In this age of information overload, there is no excuse for not doing your research before the first interview.



• Speaking negatively about former bosses/employers - Any negativity you bring to an interview is a reflection on you. No matter how bad your previous job was, don’t dwell on it. Briefly state why you left and move on.

Keep personal problems, religious beliefs and medical issues out of the interview process. You may have concerns that will need to be addressed at some point, however wait until you have been offered the job, then schedule a meeting with the Human Resources Manager to discuss these personal issues.