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Even more things you shouldn’t say or do at an interview

Every now and again CareerBuilder comes out with a list of unbelievable acts perpetrated by job seekers in interviews. The acts detailed on its lists seem to touch the limit of human absurdity, with some so thoroughly unbelievable that they seem more like performance art than an excusable gaffe or a simple misstep committed by someone unfamiliar with interviewing etiquette. CareerBuilder’s career blog, TheWorkBuzz, recently supplied a new list—the contents of which were provided by staffing firm Robert Half—which goes far beyond past lists, detailing acts so absurd, they seem almost to come straight from the mind of Kurt Vonnegut.

So what are some of these things you should never say or do in an interview? Although some may give one pause, others, because of their sheer absurdity, may simply make you question the validity of the list, leading you to declare, “No one, ever, in their right mind would do that!”

  • “The candidate sent his sister to interview in his place.”
  • “One candidate sang all of her responses to interview questions.”
  • “When asked by the hiring manager why she was leaving her current job, the applicant said, ‘My manager is a jerk. All managers are jerks.’”
  • “A person came to the interview in pajamas with slippers.”
  • “A job applicant came in for an interview with a cockatoo on his shoulder.”

Although it goes without saying that a cockatoo is not an appropriate accessory (an understated cockatoo broach may serve as a good replacement for the real thing), it is by far my favorite “thing you shouldn’t say or do at an interview.” What’s yours?  (For a full list, see TheWorkBuzz’s original post.)

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