When job candidates are urged to put their best foot forward, it should go without saying that said foot should not be wearing a flip flop. That’s among the outrageous blunders job searchers have made in interviews, according to a new CareerBuilder survey released Feb. 24, 2010.
Unlike the potential hire that had to interrupt his interview to retrieve his dog, which had gotten loose in the parking lot, or the applicant who sought an accounting job but described himself as bad at managing money, job candidates want to stand out for the right reasons, notes CareerBuilder’s vice president of HR, Rosemary Haefner.
“Even though the job search process can be frustrating, candidates should stay positive, focus on their strengths and be prepared on how best to sell their skill set,” Haefner said in a news release.
And they’d be wise to steer away from some of the unusual things other candidates have done, according to findings from the online survey, conducted November 2009 with 2,720 full-time U.S. hiring managers.
Among the most memorable:
- Wearing flip flops with a business suit.
- Citing the game Dungeons and Dragons as an example of teamwork.
- Eating in the employee break room after the interview.
- Reciting poetry.
- Filing fingernails.
- Looking at the ceiling during the entire interview.
- Inviting the interviewer to meet later for a drink.
- Applying for a job in customer service but indicating that “I don’t really like working with people.”
While reciting poetry and leaving the interview to fetch Fido aren’t typical, there are some common missteps that candidates make:
- Dressing inappropriately, reported by 57 percent of hiring managers.
- Appearing disinterested, 55 percent.
- Speaking negatively about a current or previous employer, 52 percent.
- Appearing arrogant, 51 percent.
- Answering a cell phone or texting during the interview, 46 percent.
- Not providing specific answers to interview questions, 34 percent.
- Not asking good questions, 34 percent.
Related Articles:
Award-Winning Chapter Program Prepares Students for Jobs, Inside SHRM, Feb. 2, 2010
Weird Applicants? Blame Mom and Dad, Expert Says, SHRM Online Staffing Management Discipline, April 22, 2008