Catherine's Career Corner
Post Views: 17610 Views

These are 60 things you should never say during a job interview. When candidates get carried away; they slouch in their seats and say things they should never say. Candidates should not get too comfortable, especially if they feel the interviewers are slightly friendly.

60-things-to-avoid-saying-in-an-interview

Written by Catherine Adenle

Know 60 things you should never say during a job interview. As the sluggish economy takes its toll on the labour market, many people are out of work. The job market has increasingly become tight to penetrate for all job seekers. Securing any type of job interview is extremely hard as all jobs are fiercely competitive.

Figures from employment websites are showing that a quarter of graduates and other job seekers haven’t had a single interview since they graduated.

For this reason, any job seeker will be glad at the chance of an interview with a potential employer. It is then expected that anyone who is lucky enough to get a job interview will adequately prepare beforehand so that they can make a terrific impression on interviewers.

However, during interviews, regardless of how comfortable you get as a candidate, you must stay away from any of these 60 things you should never say during a job interview. Some candidates get too comfortable, especially if they feel the interviewers are slightly friendly. These candidates get carried away; they slouch in their seats and make small talk with their interviewers. They forget that it’s best to remain professional during a job interview. Instead, they say some of the 60 things you should never say during a job interview:

  1. How much do you pay for this role anyway?
  2. What do you guys do again? Remind me.
  3. When will I be promoted if I get this job? This is a must not say of these 60 things you should never say during a job interview
  4. Weaknesses? I don’t have any.
  5. When are you guys going to finish interviewing me?
  6. This is my last hope. I don’t know what will happen if I don’t get this job.
  7. Please give me the job, I am desperate!
  8. Can I quickly make a phone call?
  9. You must not say this of the 60 things you should never say during a job interview. Don’t say, Gosh, this office is too far from where I live. It must be a pain to get here in the mornings.
  10. What’s your sick leave policy like?
  11. My dad told me about this job when the Job Center insisted that I look for a job.
  12. For how long have you guys worked here?
  13. How do you all cope with working here? It feels really dead and gloomy.
  14. What was your last question again?
  15. That’s my girlfriend pinging to know if I got the job, sorry.
  16. Please hurry up; I have another interview to attend.
  17. I am just here for some dosh; I plan to start my own business soon.
  18. My colleagues are morons; I can’t spend a day more with them. That’s why I am here.
  19. I prefer to work alone. I get a lot done that way.
  20. How often can I call in sick in a month before I get into trouble?
  21. I have no questions to ask.
  22. Hell no!
  23. Yes
  24. No
  25. Gosh, these are difficult questions.
  26. You look stunning, what do you do for fun around here?
  27. Chill, I’ll come up with an answer in a minute.
  28. I need a cup of coffee to get me going. Can I have some coffee, please?
  29. I don’t have a copy of my CV/Resume here.
  30. Sorry, I have got to scram; I am late for my psychiatrist appointment.
  31. By the way, do I get any perks to go with this job?
  32. Sorry, I quickly need to take this call from my mum. He’s waiting in the car for me.
  33. My former boss fired me because he’s a raging idiot.
  34. I hated working for my last employer. They don’t care for their employees.
  35. I need a cigarette, do you mind?
  36. How much does your company make in a year?

10 Things NOT to Say in a Job Interview

See Turn the Tables During a Job Interview: Ask Clever Questions 

  1. For how long do I have to work here to be in your position?
  2. No, I am not going to answer that question.
  3. Really? Did I put that on my CV?.
  4. Bloody hell, you sound cranky.
  5. What else do you need from me? This is definitely one of the things you should never say during a job interview
  6. Sorry, I have got to scram; I am late for another appointment.
  7. My bad, I thought you manufacture something else.
  8. Yes again.
  9. No, I have already said no!
  10. What does that mean?
  11. No, I don’t roll like that.
  12. Damn! You got me with that question.
  13. Excuse me, do you mind? I need to fart.
  14. I love your suit, where did you get it from?
  15. I don’t like my current job and I can’t stand my manager.
  16. Do you have kids?
  17. What’s your political affiliation? Just checking.
  18. They fired me, it’s their loss! Never say this during a job interview.
  19. If I get this job, I’ll tattoo this company’s logo on my chest.
  20. You have to pay me more than I currently earn.
  21. Sorry, I am late. I had to go to court first thing this morning.
  22. When I am not working, I hustle. What do you expect?
  23. Where are you going with this?
  24. What the f**k! Without telling you, this is surely one of the 60 things you should never say during a job interview.

Now that you have gone through the 60 things you should never say during a job interview, did I have to tell you not to say any of the things?

See Danger Sign Job Interview Questions (Infographic)

What else should not be said in an interview? Share them with us below.


Catherine Adenle
Founder, Catherine's Career Corner. The career site empowering and inspiring ambitious candidates of all ages and professions to thrive and work smarter on their careers. Gladly helping all career-minded people worldwide to explore their career, manage change and understand how new technologies are changing and enhancing the future of work.
Catherine Adenle
Catherine Adenle

Latest posts by Catherine Adenle (see all)

4 thoughts on “60 Things You Should Never Say During a Job Interview

  1. I am ROFL! Thanks for this post. I interview candidates where I work, trust me when I say I have heard few of these 60 things.

    One of the candidates threw a mint in his mouth and said, ‘Sorry, I was rushing this morning and forgot to brush my teeth!’ I was shocked. Needless to say he didn’t get the job. Such a candidate might say inappropriate things in front of our clients if we employ him. So, we didn’t give him the job.

    There are some ill-informed job seekers out there. Perhaps this article will help them.

    Loving the blog,
    Rauf from Maryland.

  2. A candidate showed us his six pack to demonstrate that his hobby is working out in the gym and keeping healthy! Impressive six pack but we didn’t offer him the job.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

2 + 3 =

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.