There are a million and one guides out there about what to say in an interview for thoughtful, well-rounded answers. This is something of the opposite. As a person who does a lot of screenings and sits in a lot of interviews, there are plenty of great answers out there, but there are a couple of answers or comments that when I hear or see them, I feel a slight sense of dread. Here are three things I would avoid saying or doing during an interview:

1) “I’m doing such a bad job”

This is a big one for me. Hearing a candidate say “I’m doing such a bad job at this interview” always makes me pause. This gripe goes way back to acting school for me. I had a professor who listed it as one of his pet peeves during auditions. Actors would come in and audition and as they were leaving, they’d say “I did such a bad job” and he didn’t like this. He disliked it because that comment would influence his own view of the audition. He would think that if the actor viewed the audition as poor, then maybe he should as well, and it effectively hurt people’s chance of getting cast. This has stayed with me so much that I never say ‘I’m doing a bad job’ in an interview. I think it occasionally, but I don’t’ say it. I’ve had plenty of experiences where I think “Woah, this is bad, they are not going to email me back” and yet, I received an offer to continue in the process. It's important not to count yourself out of the process before the hiring team does. You can be self-critical without self-sabotaging.

2) Not Answering the Question

This happens a lot more than you think, and I am guilty of this. Usually what happens in this situation is that a candidate talks around the question rather than answering it, or they slightly go on a tangent. It can happen to the best of us, but it is important to focus on actually answering the question rather than dodging it. Even if you don’t have the necessary skill they are looking for, you can answer the question by being honest and showing your additional skills through another example. Hiring teams appreciate candidates who can effectively answer the questions they are asking.

3) Talking Over or Cutting People Off

In the age of Zoom interviews, it can be incredibly hard to read someone’s face or body language on a computer screen. A lot of interview etiquette is based around in-person interviews, and Zoom and other online platforms have changed that completely. One of the more recent issues that seems to have appeared is people speaking over each other. It does happen a lot, but one way to curb this problem is to allow a 3 second pause after someone is done speaking. Usually in that pause the person who is asking questions will continue their line of question or thought, or it will remain silent, allowing you to respond accordingly. The pause might feel lengthy to you, but it feels short to the people listening, and it gives you a couple of seconds to think on how to respond.

These are a couple of options to think about as you are moving through job interviews – in person or virtually. These tips were passed down to me, and I have been thankful for them and would be remiss if I did not share them with others.  Hopefully, some of these tips will aid you in the job searching process.