Preparing for a job interview can be just as nerve-wracking as the interview itself. Whether it’s your first time vying for a position or you've navigated countless interviews over the years, the nerves never really fade. In fact, that familiar flutter of butterflies in your stomach always seems to make an appearance, no matter how many times you’ve done it before. It’s in moments like these when you might find yourself wishing you could magically have someone whisper into your ear what to say and what not to say. While we can’t give you all the answers, we can reveal six things to avoid saying in an interview, thanks to recruiter Megan Snowball, who has worked with clients in industries that range from tech and finance to media and entertainment, health and retail.Just think of her as your fairy godmothers for job interview tips, so you can feel more confident during your next interview. The little nuggets of wisdom she provides will not only help you navigate future career conversations with ease, but also show you ways to leave a lasting impression. After all, an interview is your moment to shine—and saying the right phrases can make all the difference.Knowing what you should avoid can benefit you as well. By steering clear of certain phrases, words and topics, you ensure you’re presenting your best self and showing thoughtfulness and professionalism. With a little preparation, thanks to our expert, you can enter an interview with confidence. So, don’t hesitate, dive in and see what you should refrain from saying, below. That way, it’ll help take the stress out of your next big opportunity so you can use your skills and passion to prove you’re the perfect fit for the role.Related: The #1 Biggest Red Flag in a Job Posting, According to a Career Coach
“It’s important that candidates feel prepared to ensure they can represent themselves confidently and concisely during an interview,” Snowball tells Parade. “Being on your A-game means that you make sure to take time to prep for your interview and you give yourself at least 24 hours to do so.”
How To Prepare Before a Job Interview
Here are three things you should do ahead of time.
“Find out what the company you're interviewing for is about by looking on Google, Glassdoor and news publications,” Snowball tells Parade. “Don’t forget to check out their own website as well. Their mission statement and tone of voice to the public will give you clues on how they may screen for company culture. Large companies like Microsoft, Amazon or Pinterest even offer resources that give you inside information on how their interviews are conducted and recommendations for how to prepare specifically.”Related: 11 Best Side Hustles for Women Over 50, According to Career Coaches
2. Look Up Who You Are Speaking With
“Some recruiters may provide you with a contact for who you’ll be speaking with, but if not, many you can look up on LinkedIn,” she explains. “Check out their page and see how you may be connected. For instance, are there any articles they posted about their projects and companies they are proud of? You can also look at their job title and how they describe their role and responsibilities.”
“For your actual interview, prepare specific examples you can speak about regarding your work history relating to different topics of conversation,” Snowball suggests. “The topics are usually pulled from things like, why they are hiring, the top skills listed on the job listing and the role's responsibilities or day-to-day tasks. Try not to be high-level with your answers, instead go into detail in a concise manner supported by data. Many larger companies may practice with the STAR method, and it’s a great tool to use to practice as well. Regardless, prepare so you’ll be able to answer: ‘Why this role?' 'Why this company?' and 'Why now?’”Related: How To Prepare for a Second Interview, Plus 50 Second Interview Questions to Practice in Advance
6 Things To Avoid Saying in a Job Interview, According to a Recruiter
While there are plenty of things you should refrain from talking about when you are speaking to someone during a job interview, Snowball tells Parade some of the top things to avoid saying below. She not only reveals why they aren’t good to bring up, but also provides some alternative examples of things you can say instead. That way, you can still mention them, just in a more appropriate and professional way that makes you look good in your interview and stand out for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones.
1. “I think my resume speaks for itself.”
Snowball emphasizes you should never say this phrase as your resume alone isn’t enough to tell your full story during an interview. “The purpose of doing an interview is for additional discovery to identify the best hire for the role,” she discloses. “Your resume is like a preview of the back of the book and you should give more context beyond just the highlight reel. It also shows how you can present what was important to you about that role.”Snowball tells Parade there are other ways you can say this phrase that come off better. “Instead of saying, 'I think my resume speaks for itself,’ say ‘I would like to highlight my experience from…' (then reference a specific point on your resume and tell a story or example),” she advises. “This will allow you to point to a specific area that you want the hiring manager to know more about that is most valuable to the role they are hiring for.”
While this statement may be true, Snowball warns it’s not something you should bring up during an interview for another job.“Interviews give people a short glimpse of the full picture of your experience. With limited time, you really don’t want to spend it on a portion of what was negative because the interviewer won’t have enough context to understand what was really happening and that’s where assumptions come in,” she indicates.In place of talking about your past toxic workplace, she recommends you bring up a positive point regarding your last job. “Say something like, ‘I thrive in teams that operate (blank)’ and really paint a picture of what a successful or thriving work environment looks like for you," Snowball proposes. "You can also talk about what’s most important to you when it comes to the next company you'll be working for when it comes to culture, opportunity or communication.”Related: Here’s How To Answer the Trickiest Interview Question So You Get the Job
3. “I don’t have experience using that program or software.”
Even if you are unfamiliar with a certain tool you’re asked about during an interview, Snowball cites you shouldn’t minimize the skills you do bring. “Sometimes there is high value on having experience using the software or tools of a company when ramping into a job, which is why answering in this way does not provide good context to the skills and experiences you do have and you shouldn't say during an interview,” she points out.That’s why she tells Parade you should always continue your answer instead of just sharing that you haven’t used something before and downplaying things. “A better response for this phrase would be, ‘While I do not have direct experience with this software, in my previous role, I completed this task using this software…’” Snowball says.She adds, “If you see any specific software or technologies listed in the job description, get ahead of things and look them up! You may discover you’ve been using something else to complete similar tasks in a role and mentioning that during your interview is usually what can be most important. Also, consider sharing an example of where you had a fast ramp up and how you were familiar with using a certain technology while at a job and how you went about becoming a fast expert at it!”Related: An Organizational Psychologist Is Begging High-Achievers To Adopt 'The 10% Buffer' Mindset
While your intention of this phrase might be your way to show that you understand the title or level of the role you're pursuing, Snowball reveals it can also unintentionally backfire and give the wrong impression to whoever you’re speaking with.“By saying this, you are already telling the interviewer that the role you're going out for will not be as interesting or fulfilling in the long term,” she notes. “Try saying something like, ‘This role is exciting for me because…’ instead as this statement makes the focus instead on why this role is going to be a great opportunity for you. That may be why you could be perceived as taking a step back in title or sometimes pay, but this doesn’t make it the main focus.”
5. “Can you tell me more about the company?”
This may seem like a perfectly fine question to ask in an interview, but Snowball tells Parade it’s actually one you might want to avoid. Why? It’s somewhat inefficient—especially since interviews typically have limited time.“Interviews can be short, so you need to be more specific on what you want to know about the company,” she clarifies. “A better way to say something similar would be, ‘Preparing for our call, I looked more into (the company) and was interested in (the following). What has been your experience with (fill in the blank)?’”She elaborates more saying, “This shows the interviewer that you invested time ahead to understand more about the company’s missions, products, etc. It will also give you an opportunity to gain specific insight to areas that would concern you about a company’s culture, or draw an alignment to how this could be a great fit.”Related: How To Write a Thank You Email After an Interview
6. “If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.”
Remember, you're the one pursuing the role—it's not the interviewer's job to chase you, which is why Snowball wouldn’t recommend saying this when you wrap up your interview with someone. “This phrase puts that responsibility on the interviewer,” she states. “You want to take an opportunity for yourself to provide an additional reminder on why you could be a great fit in a concise manner instead.”She explains you can do so by rephrasing your initial sentences. “Say something like, ‘Based on our conversation, I’d like to provide you with more information…’ Then try to obtain the person’s contact info so you can email them or send a follow-up message on LinkedIn with a simple ‘Thank you.’ This will give you the opportunity to provide additional info post-interview that you feel could have been missed or could add more to what was spoken on,” Snowball conveys, adding, “In some positions, you may also be able to provide decks, or additional samples as well."
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