Interview mistakes: these are no-gos for applicants

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Just don't be late.

Don't talk badly about your old employer and don't show any nervousness.

Don't cross your arms and don't look to the side.

The list of supposed taboos for job interviews is long.

If you try to heed all the tips, you no longer know how to behave properly.

In any case, making yourself invisible is not an option.

Experts explain what really matters - and what taboos are often mentioned.

Closed body language in the job interview

If you believe many advisers on job interviews, HR managers value the “correct” body language: don't cross your arms, don't look at the floor - or wasn't it to the side?

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Uwe Kanning, Professor of Business Psychology at the University of Osnabrück, says: “There is a bit of truth to the fact that body language reflects personality.

But taking this as a basis for assessing people in the recruitment interview, from the point of view of psychology, we can only advise against it. "

Nevertheless: A survey by Kanning among a good 200 companies showed that 70 percent of the respondents included observations on body language in the decision-making process.

The etiquette expert Elisabeth Bonneau advises not to train or train individual gestures for a job interview.

"It always seems artificial, and the HR manager gets the feeling: 'The applicant is pretending'." It is much more a question of the overall picture.

If you want to take a close look at your body language, you shouldn't do it in front of the mirror: “You keep correcting yourself and you get stuck.” It is better to set up a camera or ask friends for honest feedback.

Show nervousness in the job interview

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Candidates are often advised to exude calm and serenity in the interview.

Easier said than done - and ultimately not necessarily decisive, says Kanning: "It is understandable to be nervous before an application interview."

Everything about the interview

The decisive factor is how excited someone is and what position they are applying for.

"If a prospective trainee is having a conversation with a trembling voice and red spots, that doesn't matter, I'd be generous," says Kanning.

"Someone who wants to hold a high management or spokesman position has to be more confident, because there will be much worse situations at work."

Be unprepared in the interview

Walking into the interview without a clue is actually a no-go.

For example, 91 percent of the 200 companies surveyed in Kannings' study want to hear reasons for applying, and almost 70 percent test knowledge about the company.

“You should prepare for that,” says the business psychologist.

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The same applies to questions about one's own strengths and weaknesses: "Nobody wants to see that the applicant only thinks about it in depth during the interview."

Talking badly about the ex-employer

Often it is also discussed why one would like to change jobs.

Anyone who speaks badly about the old employer seldom gains an advantage.

"That is actually a taboo," says Bonneau.

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You could be looking for a new challenge or you would like to develop professionally, explains the expert.

On the other hand, it is not a good answer that after three years in the previous company it is simply enough.

“This is based on the everyday psychological assumption that the employee is not a loyal one,” explains Professor Kanning.

Arriving late for the interview

No matter how well prepared you are, it is not always 100 percent guaranteed that you will be on time for the appointment.

"If you don't make it on time because public transport has collapsed or the bicycle tire has blown, you should definitely call and let them know," advises Bonneau.

If you can't get someone on the phone, the best thing to do is to speak a message on tape.

You can also write an SMS or email.

Disregard the order when shaking hands

Due to the corona, the handshake does not currently play a role in job interviews, but according to a common myth it usually harbors some stumbling blocks.

Because it is recommended that applicants first shake hands with their supervisor or the highest-ranking person in the room and only then the other people present.

Everything about the curriculum vitae

Etiquette expert Bonneau says: “Having to find out beforehand who is the most senior and who to shake hands with first is nonsense.” Rather, the applicant is a guest, and it is “the right of the recipient to decide how close you are come and shake hands ”.

And if you have wet hands from nervousness, you can also wipe them briefly on your clothes before shaking hands.

Be inattentive during the interview

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Both experts recommend that applicants not only deal more closely with their active part, but also with the passive part of the conversation: listening.

Because, explains Bonneau, maybe in conversation you will be told something about the company, for example, that you already know thanks to good preparation.

Then it is important not to slump in boredom, but to listen with interest. Looking at the person opposite, smiling, nodding - that goes down well in job interviews. And that can be decisive in the end, says Kanning: “Suitability is usually less important than liking. The decision depends on how the interviewer feels about the applicant. "