Welcome to our Careerfest 2020 series. We believe you have enjoyed our previous articles on how you can improve your job hunt and career development in this New Normal.

Our ultimate intention is to help you land that job interview and equally convert it into an employment contract.

In today’s article, we have jotted down six essential things you should never say, do, or ask in any competitive job interview.

Remember a job interview is a gateway to a dream job ahead and you should therefore do whatever it takes to cross over favourably to it.

But first, have you signed up for the Careerfest 2020 which is taking place in a few hours from now, a platform where we groom you into the one interviewee who is most likely to succeed? Your opportunity is here today. Secure your slot now, register here.

‘This is an opportunity for me to build my CV.’

Studies have shown that most millennials spend between 3 to 6 years on a particular job.

Although that is a fact with today’s labour force, as a job seeker, never at any given time during the interview, tell your prospective employer that you will not stay in the organisation for long.

No employer would wish to spend a lot of money on hiring and training, and before they reap the return on their investments, you already have one leg outside the door.

Employers are looking at developing people who will transform the organisation and possibly take over from the current leadership, not those who are looking at developing their CVs to enable them to get the next possible gig.

Complaining about your previous employers

Author and Trainer Emmanuel Dei-Tumi regularly caution his audience never to complain about their previous employers in public.

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Regardless of how unfairly you feel you were treated, Dei-Tumi counsels, “never talk about it to a prospective employer.”

It is a red flag to them that you are a difficult person to work with, and you will take the same negative energy to the new organisation if hired.

What the prospective employer wants to know is your ability to perform the available tasks, not how many heartbreaks you experienced. Concentrate on your capabilities only.

According to Oglethorpe, complaining about your previous employers is regarded among the top don’ts during an interview.

‘What are the perks in this job?’

Serious interviewers will stop listening to you the moment you talk about compensation at the early stages of the interview process.

The fact that they advertised it is a clear indication that they indeed have a budget to cater for your engagement.

At the initial stages of the job interview, concentrate on convincing your prospective employer about the value you bring to the table rather than your salary expectations.

There is that time to talk about your remuneration. Do not raise it prematurely.

According to Workopolis 2015 blog, once you have unrealistic salary expectations and what perks you’d like to have from your employer, chances are very high you will not get hired, especially if you’re inflexible.

‘How long will it take me to get a promotion’?

All of us want to grow in our careers but never be aggressive about this at an interview.

Rebecca Woods, Vice President of Human Resources at Doherty Employer Services in Minneapolis, asserts that prospective job employees ought to avoid the question “when will I be promoted?”

According to Woods, this is one of the most common questions that puts employers off.

You might even be more qualified and competent than some hiring managers on the panel, but do not threaten them by showing that you are interested in taking over their jobs.

Hold on to your ambitions in your heart, and when the time gets ripe, you will surely climb to your high position.

Failing to ask any questions in the interview.

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In most professional interviews, panellists will entertain interviewee’s questions or inquiries.

When that opportunity comes, never say you don’t have any questions for the panellists.

It is a sign of laziness to sit in an interview for over 30 minutes, and not have any questions. It means you are not engaging. You are not proactive, and possibly unproductive too.

According to Wanda T. (2018), 44 per cent of employers would not give a job offer to a candidate who doesn’t ask questions when given an opportunity.

And, please don’t be absurd. Only ask those questions related to the job, such as “when do I start if I am hired?”. “How many staff will I be working with within my department”, among others.

Never list your weaknesses.

It would help if you never listed your weaknesses to the employer.

If this question, however, comes up in the course of the session, show how you are working on them.

According to the Career Centre (2016) blog, to say “I don’t have any weaknesses. I’m an all-round solid employee” will make you lose a job offer.

You may think you are giving an intelligent answer, yet you are digging a deep pit. It shows a lack of self-awareness, a resistance to constructive criticism, and also arrogance.

Congratulations! You just equipped yourself to stand out from the competition.