4 Myths That Can Cost You the Job

Everyone wants to do great at an interview. They want to make an everlasting impression so they get the job. Unfortunately, very often they act on myths which are counterproductive. Check out the following myths and be careful that you do not indulge in these traits:

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Myth #1 - I have to answer everything or I will fail.

Truth: Au contraire! You should have the courage - and integrity - to say 'I do not know!' or you may be made to say it. The interviewer will immediately know you do not know and will twist the question around until he has you backed against the wall. By then, however, you have lost all credibility with the interviewer who knew from your first answer that you were bluffing. Nobody likes a bluffer in their ranks.




Myth #2 - You have a superb vocabulary and you use all these words to impress the interviewer.

Truth: The interviewing panel has to go through hundreds of interviews. They have little patience and even lesser tolerance for pompous talk. You need to use crisp English and layperson words, unless technical jargon is a must, and be as brief as possible without losing grasp of the concepts you're talking about.

Myth #3 - I will tell stuff about the competition to impress my interviewer.

Truth: Many think that divulging seemingly critical information about competitors will whet the appetite of the interviewer to know more and that this will "buy" you the job. The truth is exactly the opposite. First of all, know that every company has its own intelligence "spies" whose job is to find out stuff about their competition. It is highly unlikely - even if you are an insider on the top management level - that you have really any information that is valuable to them.

At the same time it puts you in a very bad light. It casts a big shadow on your integrity. You will NEVER get the job because the first thing that will flash in the recruiter's mind is that you might eventually share their company secrets to other companies where you might seek employment.

Myth #4 - I have no weakness; if I reveal any weakness I will compromise my chance of getting the job.

Truth: The interviewer is not impressed when you say that your greatest weakness is working too hard. It must be sounding silly even to your own ears. Instead, be candid and say I have a weakness for Facebook or I get carried away when I speak on the phone, or I sometimes get short tempered when pressed for time - but I am aware of this weakness and am working on it.

See the following articles for more information:

• 21 Major Interview Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
  
• The Best Way to Prepare for a Job Search and Interviews
  
• How to Talk About Other Interviews in Your Interviews
  
• How to Answer the Tell Me About Yourself Interview Question
  
• How to Answer the Do You Have Any Questions for Me Interview Question

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