Your CV does a lot of the work for you, but come interview time, you can easily undo all that work without realising it.
According to Glass Door, a job and recruiting site, these six phrases can almost guarantee you a free ticket out the door.
* "I couldn't stand my last company."
Even if you've worked at a really bad place, trashing them will do you no favours. Instead of them looking bad, you may end up seeming ungrateful and bitter and your potential new employer may get the impression that they will also be at the receiving end of your bad reviews at your next job interview.
* "I'll do anything."
While you want to make a good impression, you don't want to come off as desperate. You shouldn't just be willing to do whatever the company suggests you do, but you should be knowledgeable about the tasks you'll be taking up.
* "I'm a self-motivated, quick learner with leadership skills."
If you are able to speak so well about yourself then you should be able to back all of it up with practical examples. If you are a quick learner, then you should give an example of how in less than a day you had to learn to use software typically used only by the IT department.
* "No, I don't know how to do that."
Honesty is always the best policy, particularly during a job interview where you can so easily be caught out and the consequences could be embarrassing and disastrous. Even if you don't have any experience with a particular task, saying a flat out "no" will not be received well. Rather find something else you are good at, similar to what you're being asked about and use that as a qualifying statement.
* "So what exactly does your company do?"
You're asking to for your CV to be thrown away if ever utter these words. This shows that you not only failed to do your research before the interview, but you also applied for a job at a company you know nothing about – meaning you want any job and not necessarily a job at that specific company. When asked if you have any questions, you should use that time to demonstrate how much knowledge you have on the company.
* "I want a job that pays X."
Making demands on your salary unprompted, especially in the beginning stages of the interview process, may not work well for you. Salary negotiations are always tricky. Play it safe at first and make sure they know you are open to negotiate on an offer they are willing to make – that way you won't disqualify yourself from consideration.
