How to blow an interview

Here’s an interview tip: When asked about management style, don’t respond that you enjoy making people cry. That’s one of the mistakes managers mentioned when we asked them what automatically rules out a candidate for an open position. Here are some other ways to ensure you won’t get that new post you want. 

1. Get too comfortable

“Once you get into the conversation, you have to be yourself,” says Rob Jaber, director of food and nutrition at District of Columbia Public Schools. But he also warns against letting your guard down too much. He said that his disarming personality often lulls people into a false sense of security, and they admit deal breakers like the fact they enjoy making their subordinates cry.

2. Look bored

Theresa Nash, director of food and nutrition services at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, says one of the ways she vets potential employees is just by looking at their face. “Are they happy?” she says. “Are they excited? To me, nervousness is some enthusiasm, too. If they are nervous, that shows they want the job as well.” Also, taking notes makes applicants appear to be more invested, she says. 

3. Don’t dress to impress

“Your first impression should be your best impression,” Jaber says. “So dressing appropriately, eye contact, handshake—those things do matter, even though it sounds very cliche.” Although most of Nash’s team wears uniforms, she says how they address and appear is important. “They need to have good hygiene,” she says.

4. Talk about you, too much

The interview is not really about the job applicant. It’s about what that applicant can do for the organization, says Judy Gipper, Western Michigan’s director of dining services. So in preliminary meetings, steer clear of salary negotiations. Gipper says that when interviewees ask what’s in it for them too soon, they don’t come off as a team player. “It communicates ‘What’s in it for me,’ and not, ‘What does the team need and how does this position contribute to the overall goals of the operation.’” Sara Simmerman, food service supervisor for Huron Valley Schools in Oakland County, Mich., sees a red flag when applicants don’t mention their customer. “If they don’t ever mention a child or a student, to me, that is strange,” she says. “Because that’s what we are about.” When someone mentions the great hours or asks what the organization is going to do for them, that’s a strike against them, she says.

5. Don’t be honest and modest

Trying to come off as an expert in literally everything is not a solid interview strategy. Jaber says it doesn’t come off as genuine. “It’s OK to acknowledge weaknesses or areas where you may not have as much exposure,” he says. “Those people that try to be all things to all people are just not relatable.” He says he looks at how someone comes through as a person and not just at their task orientation.