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6 job interview mistakes to avoid

Although the economy seems to be showing signs of improvement, there are still more applicants for every job opening than there are available positions. In a survey, HR professionals outlined six interview mistakes that can instantly kill the possibility of receiving an offer.

6. Sense of entitlement

An interview is not the time to discuss salary or possibility for advancement. While those questions might be in the back of your mind, keep them there. If a candidate brings these topics up prematurely, it tends to convey to the employer that money is paramount. Receiving a job offer should come above all else.

Half of the HR professionals who responded to our survey noted that workers’ sense of entitlement has increased in the past five years. Since this is something bosses are already tired of dealing with, you don’t want to go into a company and be seen as perpetuating the cycle. Another 12 percent noted that candidates exhibiting a sense of entitlement during the interview was a common problem.

While salary level is a valid concern, there is a time and place for discussing this. Assuming you are already in a position to negotiate before having an offer is not going to reflect very highly on you when potential employers consider your level of professionalism.

Matthew Randall is the executive director of the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania in York, Penn.

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Mark Sappenfield
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