The Worst Interview Faux Pas
1. Bad manners
"A cell phone goes off -- which you should just apologize for and turn off promptly, but I've had candidates look at the number, which really ticks off an interviewer."
"[The candidate asks,] 'When can I start?' Presumptuous and inappropriate."
"'Do you have something to eat? I am hungry.'"
"One candidate opened his briefcase and started snacking on crackers while interviewing."
2. Being weird
"Strangest thing ever -- a [University of Chicago] MBA student was doing very well during an interview, when a tape recorder spilled out of his briefcase. Very, very odd. He would have gotten a call back for a second round, but not after we saw that tape recorder. We still don't know what that was about! But we stayed away -- big time!" - Thanasoulis-Cerrachio
"I've heard some interesting ones, but the most bizarre was a prospective hire asking me if I was Jewish. Any religion would have been weird to inquire about in that situation ... maybe she was trying to form a bond?" - Justin Seibert, president of Direct Online Marketing
3. Giving a bad reason for wanting the job
"One answer to a question about why the applicant was looking to change jobs left me speechless. The candidate, a 20-something with about five years of work experience, said, 'Well, I've been twiddling my thumbs for six months.'"
4. Letting nervous tics control you
"You shouldn't repeat a phrase over and over again. I had one candidate say, 'There it is' at the end of about seven or eight responses. Very annoying and not impressive."
"Nervous leg bouncing syndrome: I once had a candidate who rocked her leg so much that she was physically moving during the interview. We ended up hiring her, which was a huge mistake -- one of the worst hires ever."
