Things You Should Absolutely Not Do during a Job Interview

You have a fantastic cover letter and your resume is top-notch, but you bomb the interview. Will you get the job? Probably not. Sioux Falls is such a tight job market that finding and getting the job you want will be as much work, if not more, than the job itself.

There are things you can do to improve your chances greatly, and conversely there are several things interviewees do during that interview that send their job prospects right over a cliff!

Do not:

• Show up late or too early - Showing up late is rude and may indicate to your potential employer, future, less-than-satisfactory behavior. If you have an emergency, try to call and if you are late immediately explain why. Too early may inconvenience their current staff and show you up as overeager
• Wear inappropriate clothing - It is an old but true statement where job interviews are concerned that first impressions do matter! Of course your work and work ethic will matter much more once you've acquired the position but at the interview it is best to dress somewhat conservatively. A suit is almost always appropriate, or at least a nice shirt and pants or blouse and skirt. Jeans, sweats, hoodies - no! Not even if this is the apparel which is worn there daily.
• Badmouth your previous boss - Even if the difficulties you may have had with a previous employer were not your fault, it may make you appear to be a person who has difficulties getting along with others. Frame your prior experiences in a positive light, you "learned problem-solving skills", you "learned to compromise with people of differing opinions", etc.
• Be unprepared - Bring your resume, (even if they have a copy) a business card, (if you have one) and some questions (after you've researched the company).
• Respond poorly to the interview questions - Of course you can't predict what all the questions will be, but it is important to be able to think on your feet, stay positive and be deliberate and thoughtful in your responses.

Other don'ts include, but are not limited to: don't swear, be arrogant, disrespectful, or get too personal with your interviewer. Unless of course you're trying to tank the interview!

For other career and interview tips check out Careerealism.com and CVTips.com