The seven deadly sins of job interviews
You might think that at a certain level beyond graduate positions everyone knows how to present well in an interview. Well you'd be wrong, there are still plenty of people bagging out their previous employers and not doing their research. Penny Pryor discovers the seven deadly sins.
The University of NSW has 11 helpful 'don'ts' for what not to do in job interviews. Starting with a useful "Don't dress too casually or look untidy" and ending with "Don't smoke even if invited to do so," the list is obviously aimed at graduates. But talking to many in the industry in management positions and those responsible for recruitment, it sounds like there are a number of financial services professionals that need a refresher course in interview skills 101.
So what are the major 'don'ts'?
1) Don't be vague
"Don't be vague, particularly for the first interview, because that's your big chance," Jeff Bresnahan (pictured), co-founder of SuperRatings and chairman of Lonsec Fiscal reports.
Head of human resources, State Street Corporation, Australia, Tony Touma, says it's important to be able to answer the question at hand.
"What doesn't work from an interviewee perspective would be not answering the question and not being able to give examples. That would definitely go against them," he says.
2) Don't be under-researched
"Don't turn up having not properly researched the firm," she says.
"Don't turn up without any intelligent questions."
And even if you are ill-prepared, which you shouldn't be, don't show it.
"If someone walks in the door and says 'what do you do?' that's the end for them," Bresnahan says.
First impressions do count and somebody that shows they have found out as much as they can about the firm, and thought about how they could contribute, will have a better chance of getting the job.
3) Don't call the interviewer mate or be too casual
For most jobs in financial services, if not all, you are still expected to turn up to the interview in business attire, even if you won't be wearing it every day.
"There is a certain sort of dress standard that we look for," Touma says.
Honner agrees and Bresnahan points out that it's not IT.
And also don't be too casual towards the interviewer in your language either.
"Don't try and be the interviewer's best mate. None of this mate/buddy/cobber stuff," Bresnahan says.
4) Don't be rude to the receptionist
"Call me old-fashioned but what's important for me at any level is just good manners," Honner says.
"I guess the technical term is good interpersonal skills."
5) Don't slag off your previous employer
It might sound like interview skills 101 but people still do it.
"We obviously try and assess people's competencies but the values they have are very important," Touma says.
"Bagging their previous employee - that's not a good starter."
For Bresnahan, it's going to make him all the more keen to reference check and for Honner, not doing it should be a given.
"I'm just constantly surprised. We interview a lot of people and a lot of people just don't pass the basic hurdles," she says.
6) Don't lie
If you lie, you will get found out. The Myer hiring scandal of an executive that had blatantly lied about most of their experience is a case in point. They didn't last a day in that job.
"Don't lie about your references," Bresnahan says.
7) Don't display poor judgment
You need to think about how the prospective employer is going to hear your answers.
"If we ask someone where they think they want to be in five years time...they need to answer it in a way that is convincing us they are going to be reliable," Honner says.
You don't want to say you want the interviewer's job nor do you want to say you want to be working for a competitor organisation. Tony Touma tells a story of one interviewee who at the end of the interview revealed they had taken sick leave to be there.
"That sick leave example was a classic. That individual actually presented well [but] that was a definite no no..and that struck them off."
