As someone who has done their fair share of interviewing, I would like to think I have pretty much heard most of the ‘regular’ and ‘textbook’ answers that candidates give. Sometimes however, candidates can surprise the interviewer by the responses that they give – and not always in a good way. With that in mind, we have put together a list of the “things you should never say at interview”.

Badmouthing a previous employer
Even if you worked for the boss from hell, you will do yourself no favours by telling a potential future employer all about him or her. It may be fine to have a little rant with your friends or family but it’s certainly not fine to do it in an interview. Any HR Manager or recruiter listening to you is thinking one thing – that you could be talking about them like that in the future too ( even if they are quite nice! ) In essence it is completely unprofessional and will seriously harm your chances of getting the job.

The brutal truths
Whilst we are not implying that you lie your way through your interview, sometimes telling some of the cold hard facts can be detrimental. If you are absolutely desperate for a job, then saying so will not necessarily impress the interviewer. If you are only after this particular job for the money and nothing else, never reveal that this is the case. An employer wants to hear about your career aspirations, how wonderful a company they are, what a great opportunity they are providing and not that you are only interested in your wages at the end of the month.

The perks and benefits question
When you are given the opportunity to ask some questions to the interviewer don’t make the mistake of asking about holidays or bonuses or other perks that may come with the job. No matter how important these factors may be to you, an employer would much prefer you to ask them questions about career progression within their company, their training programmes or their future plans. Asking questions about the ‘add-ons’ as it were, will only not earn you any ‘bonus points’ with the interviewer. (Do pardon the pun!)

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