What Not to Do in an Interview

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Laila El Baradei
December 2, 2024

Although it may seem obvious that job applicants seeking employment, or graduate students applying for a fellowship opportunity, should be well prepared before a selection interview, this is not always the case. Recently, sitting for several days and for long hours, on a panel interview for the purpose of shortlisting candidates for a very generous educational fellowship opportunity, I was astounded by the ill-prepared responses, inappropriate facial expressions and poor body language.

The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the dos and don’ts for interviewees to help them make a positive impression during the interviewing process.

• Be punctual. Try to go to the interview a few minutes early and wait to be admitted. If the interview is to be held online, log in early and make sure your camera and microphone are working. Don‘t waste people’s time.
• Don’t look bored. Show interest and passion in the conversation with the interviewer. Smile and try to be friendly. Maintain eye contact as much as possible.
• Be careful of your body language and facial expressions, even over Zoom. Don’t roll your eyes when you do not like the question or disagree with a comment made. Learn how to express a different opinion calmly and politely. Remember that some of the interview questions are there to provoke you and test how you deal with stress.
• Talk clearly and coherently. Make sure you fully pronounce your words and that you talk in a loud enough voice that all can hear. Don’t whisper your responses. If possible, don’t use slang. Be cognizant of a possible generation gap between you and the interviewers. Older generations may be more conservative generally and may not appreciate the use of slang or may not relate to your generation’s cultural references.
• Don’t chew gum. It does not indicate seriousness or professionalism.
• Don’t ask the interviewer to repeat the question one more time unless absolutely necessary. Be alert and attentive to what is being said.
• Don’t rush to respond. You may jot brief notes about the different points raised in the question asked. You are allowed to pause and structure your response. This is better than rushing in and either forgetting or missing points.
• Come prepared. Do some basic research to understand what the interviewers are looking for. If you are applying for a job, google the organization and read about their business or profession. Try to dig out as much information as you can about the organization structure, hierarchy and background of the top leadership. Check if there are any news stories about the organization. Read the job description carefully and check the needed competencies and skills the job requires. Think ahead of time about how you fulfill the requirements or how you are working on developing the required skills and competencies, for example by enrolling in study programs or your plans to participate in relevant training workshops.
• Do not look surprised by the questions, whatever they are: Practice and prepare responses for possible questions ahead of time. Some cliché questions are always asked so be prepared to talk about your strengths and possible areas for improvement, about where you see yourself in five years, about your career aspirations, about the benefits you may bring to the organization and about how and what you are doing to develop your overall capacity.
• Don’t deviate from the main question asked. Structure your response and make sure you are clearly and fully responding to the question.
• Don’t tell the interviewing panel that you do not like to read. Whether you are interested in joining a graduate school program or being hired for a practitioner role, this response, even if truthful, will not sit well with the hiring individuals.
• Don’t try to make up an answer, such as listing names of bestseller books you have not read but you think will make you sound clever. Similarly, don’t inflate your work experience by taking credit for achievements in previous jobs that were not yours. Interviews may be followed by reference checks and inaccurate information you have provided during the interview will cost you the opportunity. They also could evolve into a lack of trust later when you are part of the organization, when your peers realize you’ve lied in the past.
• Don’t start your sentences with “Honestly” or “Frankly”. Interviewers’ assumptions are that you are always going to tell the truth. No one wants to hire or recruit a person who is only occasionally truthful or candid.

Hopefully these tips help you perform well in your next interview environment! Good luck!

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Author: Laila El Baradei is a Professor of Public Administration and Chair of the Public Policy and Administration Department (PPAD) at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP), the American University in Cairo (AUC)

 

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