Don't give a bad impression during your interview

Don’t give a bad impression during your interview

Asking the wrong questions during an interview can indicate you are not interested or have baggage that the employer isn’t interested in bringing into the workplace. Most of these questions should never be asked in a job interview, and some questions should be saved until a job offer has been made. Check out the bad impressions you may give the interviewer when you ask these questions:

Bad Impression: You Are Lazy and/or Not Interested in the Job

  • What does the person in this job do?
  • What are the requirements of the job?
  • What does this company do?

These questions seem to show that you didn’t read the job description, or, if you read it, you don’t remember anything about it. It is always good to prepare for your interview by researching as much as you can about the company and review the job description prior to the interview. If you aren’t interested in doing your research about them, they surely won’t be interested in you.

Bad Impression: You Don’t Want This Job

  • What other jobs are available here?
  • How soon could I apply for another job here?
  • How quickly can I get promoted?

These questions indicate lack of interest in the current job in which you are interviewing for. These questions are part of the “big picture” of the organization and ideally should not be asked during the interview process. Wait until you are negotiating a job offer before asking any of these.

Bad Impression: You Are More Interested in Vacations than the Job

  • How much paid vacation time would I get?
  • How soon can I take a vacation after I start work?
  • How many paid personal and/or sick days are allowed?
  • How long do I need to work here before taking a paid personal or sick day?
  • What is considered as excessive when someone misses work (arrives late or leaves early)?

Save these “selfish” questions until you are negotiating the job offer. These are important questions you need answered before you accept a job offer, but asking them too early in the process makes you look more interested in time off instead of working.

Bad Impression: You Have Something to Hide

  • Do you check references?
  • Do you conduct background checks before hiring someone?
  • Is passing a drug test required to be hired?
  • Will I need to pass drug tests after I’m hired? How often? How much warning before the drug tests?

These questions are plain and simply “red flags”. Asking these questions at the beginning of the job interview process will cause concern and kill opportunities for you.

Bad Impression: You Might Not Be Trustworthy

  • Do you have security cameras watching everything I do?
  • Do you monitor email use and web browsing when I’m at work? (assume YES!)
  • Do you keep close track of when I arrive and when I leave?
  • Does anyone check my work? What will they be looking for? When do they usually check? How often?
  • Will anyone be looking at my social media activities?
  • What is the process before someone is fired? Are there warnings? How many?

You may have very good reasons for wanting to know the answers to these questions, but asking these questions in the interviewing process may indicate that you cannot be trusted.

Bad Impression: You Would Be a Pain-in-the-Neck to Work With and/or to Manage

  • Is it always so noisy here?
  • Is it always so cold (or hot) here? Can I turn up the heat (or air conditioning) when I’m working?
  • I prefer working from my home. How often would you expect me to be here?
  • Is it OK to arrive late or leave early if my work is done or if no one needs my help?
  • Do you have a lot of rules about what you can wear here?
  • I don’t like Mac’s (or PC’s). Can I have a different kind of computer to use?
  • I don’t want a cubicle. Can I have an office with a window?

Some environments may not be good for you — too noisy, too hot or too cold, for example. So be observant when you are there for your job interview. While many of these issues may be very important to you, these questions are probably not appropriate for the first job interview without a good explanation of why you are asking.

Bottom Line

The interview is not about you – it’s about how you can fit the position that they are seeking to hire. Don’t ask the “selfish” questions too early in the process, and don’t ask other questions that might make a bad impression. For successful job interviews, stick to questions about the job and how you are the best candidate to fill the role.

Consider asking one of these top 3 questions to ask at the end of an interview?

1) What do you enjoy most about working here? – It’s a personal question that allows you to connect with the interviewer as well as learn about the organization.

2) What manager or team would I be working with? And can you tell me more about them?

3) Are there any other questions I can answer or concerns I can address? – This is a safe question to use as your final question. It puts the ball back in their court and allows you to give one final piece of support in persuading the hiring manager that you’re the candidate for them.