If you're on the hunt for a new job, you need to know that you have just minutes to convince the interviewer you're the one for the job.
That's the latest from CareerBuilder, which compiled results of a job interview survey to which 2,201 hiring managers and HR professionals responded. Asked how long into a job interview the hiring person knew whether someone was a fit for the position, 49 percent said "within the first 5 minutes" and 87 percent said within the first 15.
Obviously, these folks have done a lot of interviews. Dipping into this well of experience, CareerBuilder asked them to share their top 10 blunders candidates make during an interview to knock them out of the running. Here's the list:
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1. Appearing disinterested, 55 percent
2. Dressing inappropriately, 53 percent
3. Appearing arrogant, 53 percent
4. Talking negatively about current or previous employers, 50 percent
5. Answering a cell phone or texting during the interview, 49 percent
6. Appearing uninformed about the company or role, 39 percent
7. Not providing specific examples, 33 percent
8. Not asking good questions, 32 percent
9. Providing too much personal information, 20 percent
10. Asking the hiring manager personal questions, 17 percent
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
