14 Things You Should Never Say In An Interview
Preparing for an Interview?
We've all been there. You're sitting in an interview, your nerves are at an all-time high, and you say something you instantly regret. The purpose of an interview is to show your best, professional self to convince the interviewer that you are the best candidate to fill a certain position, so you want to avoid saying anything that could potentially hurt your image.
Learn about and be cognizant of common interview mistakes to ensure you steer clear of things you shouldn't say in your next interview!
Interviews generally last an average of 30 minutes, so you want to make sure everything you say in that time, from the beginning to the very end, impresses the interviewer and guarantees an offer, or at least a next step invitation.
You’re Not Alone…
Personally, I've been consistently interviewing for the past 5 years, but I recently underwent two major job searches during the pandemic. As you can imagine, I've gone through countless phone, virtual, and in-person interviews and I have made countless mistakes. I've (hopefully) learned from each of my mistakes and I want to share my insight so you don't trip up in your next interview.
Be Prepared
Below, you'll find a list of 14 things to never say in an interview to ensure you get invited to the next step in the hiring process and even potentially receive a job offer.
Although some of these might seem extremely obvious, it's a good idea to quickly glance at this list prior to each interview to remind yourself. Your mind is racing through so much in an interview -- answers you memorized, experiences you want to be sure to mention, company details, and of course, nerves -- so don't add more pressure on yourself by not knowing 14 things you should avoid saying. If you read through this list a few times, it will become second nature and you'll subconsciously know not to say these things in your next interview.
Not only does the list below highlight things you should never say in an interview, but you'll also find what to say instead. Sometimes, we don't intend for the message to be negative, but there are better ways to convey an idea, ones that will actually sit well with the interviewer.
14 Things You Should Never Say in a Job Interview
& What to Say Instead!
"I'm really nervous."
You never want to show your weaknesses in an interview and saying you're nervous outright will probably never send a positive message. Don't undermine yourself and create a vulnerable impression of yourself by saying this to the interviewer.
What to say instead: "I'm really excited."
Usually, nervousness and excitement can present similarly, so if you really want to say something about your energy because you know you're going to show some nervous antics, call it excitement. This presents your own attitude in a better way and will help mask those behaviors that come from being nervous.
This is also a plus because it can help your mindset. If you externally mention you're nervous, you're convincing yourself that you're allowed to be less than your best professional self. If you say excited, you convince yourself that you have high energy and this in turn will probably help you perform better in the interview.
"Could you give me an overview of the company and pipeline?"
This one's never a good idea. Prior to your interview, you should make sure to research all the company's details including their history, industry, products, pipeline, etc. Asking this question will show the interviewer you're not prepared and that you didn't do your research on the company -- not a good look. This also insinuates that you don't value the interviewer's time and aren't truly interested in this role and this company.
What to say instead: "I noticed [x} on the company's website but I didn't quite understand what that means, can you tell me more about that?"
Asking for clarification on a topic the company's website discusses or pointing to the company's website in some way will show that you did your due diligence preparing for this interview. This will also show curiosity and an inquisitive personality. You're allowed to ask questions and you're not expected to know everything about the company, so presenting your question in this way helps you get an answer to things that aren't clear, while still showing the interviewer you're a good candidate.
"The answer to that is on my resume."
Even if the answer to a question you get asked in an interview is on your resume, don't simply respond with that. Depending on the tone, this can come across as extremely arrogant and unadaptable. Additionally, most of the time the interviewer has read your resume so there might be another reason the interview is asking the question. Don't assume anything and simply answer the question.
What to say instead: "I have this experience written on my resume but I hope my explanation gave you a little more color on the situation."
Saying the statement above after you answer the question still points the interviewer to the resume so they understand you had this information on your resume, but it's said in a much more respectful and professional way. Also, saying it in this way shows that you wanted to provide more details on the situation or experience.
"What can I expect in terms of vacation time and benefits?"
Usually, vacation time, benefits, and compensation are sensitive topics you don't want to be the first to bring up. Moreover, usually interviews with hiring managers, leadership, etc. aren't the place to ask these questions anyway. The best thing to do is to wait for these topics to be brought up to you, and then when asked, you can follow up with the questions you have yourself. Additionally, most of the time HR interviews are when these topics are brought up, so safe it for those conversations. Show your value through your interview and once you have an offer, you can negotiate all other aspects of the job. Overall this is transactional language you want to shy away from.
What to say instead: "How does the company ensure work-life balance? Does the company provide any community events for employees?"
Asking these questions can potentially invite answers regarding time off and other benefits the company has to offer. Inquiring with this language helps to highlight you're really still talking about the role and you want to ensure it's a good fit overall, from a work-life balance point of view.
"I'll do whatever work I'm given."
Especially for those of you who may be students or young professionals, it's easy to say that you'll sign up for any work because you want to get your foot in the door and gain experience, but try not to state it as such. Firstly, companies look for individuals who have a sense of direction and know what they want in their careers. By stating you'll do any work given, you're showing you don't necessarily have a professional career plan for yourself and you would be okay with any job, ultimately showing a lack of intention and passion. It shows you don't know what you want. Secondly, this conveys desperations, which is never a good idea in an interview.
What to say instead: "I've mainly had experience doing [x] and I would love to continue to grow those skills, but if the opportunity for other projects presents itself, I would be excited to learn more and potentially get involved in that work."
This shows you're comfortable with growing within your niche and know your aptitude but are also open to any other opportunities that might come your way. This way, you're not shutting out any additional work opportunities, but it doesn't come across as desperation.
"I work well in both team and independent settings."
Although this sounds like a safe answer, it's actually going to come across like you're trying to just please the interviewer and not be genuine. These two settings, at their core, are completely opposite so you can't be absolutely great at both.
What to say instead: "I'm more of an extrovert so naturally I do like working in team settings more, but I understand that concentrated, independent work is necessary to get things done."
Or, say the opposite if you're an introvert. This answer shows that you are being genuine and understanding. Be honest about what you naturally prefer and show you understand that the workplace requires both.
"I hated my last company."
In an interview, you never want to say anything negative. The interviewer is already looking for red flags, they're looking for reasons to NOT hire you, so why spoon-feed negativity right to them? Moreover, definitely don't say anything negative about your past employer. If you can badmouth your previous employer, what's to say you won't do the same with your future employer? Bottom line: stay positive.
What to say instead: "I had [x] challenge in my last role which I overcame by doing [a], [b], and [c]."
If you do have to talk about a negative experience, pose it as a challenge. Once you state the challenge, be sure to address why the challenge came about in the first place and all the effort you put in to try to overcome it. Also, make sure to state the conclusion of the challenge to show how you truly overcame the issue to make it seem like less of a problem and more of a solution.
"I don't have any questions for you."
You've probably heard the advice about questions in interviews -- always have questions prepared. Again, if you don't ask questions you'll seem disinterested and unprepared. It will seem like you don't have enough time to research the company and role to come up with questions. Additionally, it will make you seem inexperienced as those who have experience generally have more questions. Naturally, if you've had previous experience doing something, you're going to have some questions about what you're stepping into and situations you might want to avoid. Lastly, questions are a great time to shed light on aspects of yourself that you haven't been asked about in the interview. The way you ask your questions and the types of questions you ask can show the interviewer the type of person you are, so questions are extremely powerful.
For instance, if you haven't been asked about a past experience you want to pull into the conversation, you can ask something like "In my past role, I did [x], [y], [z] and I was wondering if there would be scope to do something like that in this role as well?"
Of course, you can spin this in many ways, but the idea is to use the questions to continue to show your expertise.
"How did I do in this interview?"
We all want to know how we performed in the interview, and although it might be tempting, there are a few upsides, if any, to asking this question. First off, this question shows overconfidence and straightforwardness, in the wrong way. Even if you ask this question, the interviewer will either not have an answer for you or will not tell you what they really think. If they probably aren't going to give you the answer you're looking for, then there's basically no point in asking.
Moreover, often the interviewer doesn't actually know their true thoughts on you as a candidate right there at that moment. Speaking from experience as an interviewer, you have to take into consideration the candidate's resume, other parts of their application, any other interviews they've done, and of course, other candidates. Realistically, even if the interviewer wanted to be honest, they probably wouldn't be able to.
What to say instead: nothing.
"I didn't get along with my last boss."
Like we discussed before, saying anything negative in an interview is a no-go. Previously, we discussed not badmouthing your previous employer, but you also don't want to say anything negative about any former manager. Not only is it bad to say because you're saying something negative, but this can also show that you may be someone who's hard to work with. Your interviewer wasn't in the situation, so they can't necessarily know for sure any issue between you and your prior boss wasn't due to your shortcomings. Therefore, why would the interviewer take a risk and hire a potentially problematic candidate? They wouldn't. Lastly again, if you can speak negatively about your past manager, what's to say you won't do the same about the interviewer in front of you in the future?
Overall, bad idea.
What to say instead: nothing.
"I know I don't have much experience, but..."
This one's a hard one, especially for those who are students or young professionals! I completely understand that if you don't have ample years of experience, it can be easy to try to hide behind it and continue to mention how under-experienced you are, but try to refrain from this. I think it's worth mentioning once, which can show that you're humble and know the level you're at but don't say it too many more times than that. Highlight the experiences you do have and explain it all in a way to show your future potential to be able to tackle work and challenges in the future. Even if your experiences are rotations or internships, highlight any growth you had during those and also highlight all the soft skills gained within that time. No one comes to the job knowing all the technical skills; in fact, it doesn't make sense to hire someone who would because then they wouldn't be challenged in that role. Rather, employers know they'll have to teach you most of the technical skills on the job, so showing you have the personality, passion, drive, and soft skills to succeed in the potential role is enough to get you hired.
What to say instead: "Although I've only had 2 internships, I learned [x], [y], and [z] during my time there, which allowed me to push my professional limits and provided me with skills to create [a] which was utilized throughout the company. I hope to bring these learned skills to this role and provide this team with [b] value."
Lay out your prior experience and show the value you brought in those positions, then translate those skills into future potential. If you can show past and potential value, you'll have the role. Throughout all this, don't harp on the fact that you don't have experience -- it won't help and you unnecessarily undermine yourself.
"I can’t imagine anyone else more qualified than me for this role."
You want to show confidence in an interview, but be sure to not go overboard. Saying or conveying this sort of message shows overconfidence and arrogance. You want to be sure to show them you're the most ideal candidate, but steer clear from outright saying it. Additionally, there is generally no such thing as a 'perfect fit’ for any role, so thinking so will not help your case.
What to say instead: "In my last role, I was able to implement a system which increased the team's productivity by 20% and eventually helped bring solutions to patients faster."
That's an example of showing how you previously helped increase value at a company and the direct correlation is that you could do the same at this company. Again, show your value, don't outright say you're a good fit.
"I have a vacation planned in a few weeks."
To avoid seeming disinterested, even if you do have a planned vacation in the recent future, don't mention it throughout the interview process. This will not only show disinterest from your end, but it will also distract from the interview process and important topics. You want to keep the attention in every interview on showing what you can bring to the table. Additionally, bringing up this topic during the process is unprofessional and untimely. Lastly, this might convey that you want the job for superficial reasons and that you have priorities other than the job itself. Once you have the offer in your hand, of course, let them know you'll have to start a few weeks later due to a pre-planned vacation, but again, avoid mentioning anything like this during the process itself.
"I really need this job."
As we touched upon, you don't want to show any sign of desperation. This statement screams 'I'm desperate’. Honestly, you want to show that you're in demand and other companies want you to increase your chances of landing the role. Companies do fight for candidates in high demand. We all have financial needs and it's a known fact that roles come with appropriate compensation packages, so there's no need to highlight that and again, be desperate. As we've discussed heavily, you want to show your value throughout the interview process and once you establish that value and receive an offer, you can negotiate the compensation package and ask for what you want/need. Generally, companies are willing to go above and beyond in terms of compensation to retain talent and get good candidates.
Good Luck!
Overall, you want to make sure you don't mention any of the 14 things above in any interview to ensure your best professional self comes across. This will give you a better chance to land the role you're interviewing for. As mentioned, some of these seem extremely obvious but trust me, sometimes in an interview, things just come out in conversation and you regret it later, so you might as well hear it here and ensure you don't say any of these things in your next interview.
Interviews are hard, so don't make it harder on yourself and definitely try to not reduce your chances by saying something you'll regret later.
As always, I hope these tips were helpful and that's it for this time!