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30 Things to Hide in an Interview Prior to Getting Hired

Simi February 20, 2018

So, you’ve interviewed for your dream job and feel positively in love with the new company. In fact, you’re feeling so good about them that you feel as if you’d like to give them anything they want. But stop and think before you give away your secrets. You should carefully consider what you reveal to a prospective employer before you start a job.

The fact is, if they hire you for the job, you will bring a lot of experience, knowledge and expertise to the company. Even if your career is only a few years old, you are likely to have amassed a good deal of useful information and networks over time. And if you’ve had a long career, you’re a mine of information. But before you’ve started working, there is some information you should keep from your employer, and maybe even forever.

Think about it like this. You owe a new employer absolutely nothing before you start the job. And you don’t owe them everything when you are an official employee, either. There are certain things a monthly salary just doesn’t pay for, especially before you’ve started the job. They certainly don’t own you and everything you have. So read on to discover 30 things to never give an employer until after they hire you – if ever.

1. Your Contacts

This is a big one. Your contacts list is one of your greatest assets. If you’ve been in business for a while, you will have grown a contact list that is unique to you. All the people who you’ve done business with or worked for over the years are on that list. It’s taken you years to build up your list and network with your contacts. Why should someone get all your contacts before you’ve even started the job? Your contacts list is your passport to your career. If you give it to a future boss, you lose all power over that information. You are handing over your network on a silver platter. And there’s no telling what your future boss will do with your contacts list. In fact, you don’t know your future boss or the company you’re going to work for well at all.

Only when you have been there for a while will you get the feel of the company and of your manager. Is he or she trustworthy? Do they do business in a scrupulous way? If you decide the answer is yes to these questions, you may wish to make at least some of your contact list available to your employers. A few of your contacts might make all the difference to your success with your new company. However, there’s a case to be made for never sharing your contacts list with your employer. Even if you’ve been working for a company for a long time, the network that you have built up for yourself is yours alone. Sure, your network could benefit your current employer, but it’s still yours. So it is advisable to think long and hard before giving up your contacts list.

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2. Information About Your Salary

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to divulge your current salary to a potential employer. In fact, it’s none of their business. You don’t need to tell an interviewer what salary you earned in your last few jobs. They don’t need this information to decide whether to hire you. They also don’t need to know your pay to manage you. When a company needs to hire a new employee, they decide the maximum salary they will pay for such a person. In other words, they have a budget to stick to. It’s sad to say that what happens sometimes is that the employer tries to get a future employee to agree to a salary lower than the budgeted amount. In other words, they like getting a bargain.

With this budget in mind, your would-be boss or HR person may try to get you down to the lowest amount you will accept. The easiest way to accomplish this is to know what you are currently earning and what you have accepted for previous jobs. With this information, they know where to pitch their offer. Keeping the details of your earnings to yourself ensures that the power, or at least some of it, remains in your hands. You certainly don’t them to hire you at a bargain rate. What you want is what is fair for the job you are going to perform. You could be changing jobs to earn a bigger salary, so attempts to lower their rate will hurt your chances. If an interviewer puts pressure on you to reveal salary information, say you prefer to keep that information private.

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3. Plans That Take Longer Than An Hour

Many companies ask interviewees to develop a plan as part of the interview process. These plans are then used to assess whether you are suitable for the job. For example, if you are a typist, you will probably need to take a typing test to assess your accuracy and speed. The trouble comes in when a prospective employer asks you to develop an elaborate plan that could take you a long time. For example, an interviewer might ask you to develop a marketing plan or a business plan for a product or area of their business. They may say they want to see how well you will be able to perform the job they want to hire you to do.

But what if you don’t get the job? What if you’ve taken hours of research and application to develop an incredible plan that will benefit the company significantly. What then? If you don’t get the job, or even if you do, you have provided them with a significant amount of work for free. This is where you’ve got to draw the line. When you are asked to draw up a plan as part of the job assessment process, spend no more time than an hour on it. That is enough of an investment in a job that might never be. When you submit your plan, explain that you devoted an hour of your time to it, but that it is only part of a bigger plan you have for the company.

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4. Unpaid Labor

You might be so anxious to get a job that you agree to work a trial day or week without pay. But wait a minute, because this seems like exploitation. Why do they need you to perform unpaid labor? Asking you to work for nothing for whatever length of time seems unfair and unreasonable. In fact, if you think about it, every day you’re at work you’re on trial. Alternatively, an employer could offer a paid trial period. Legally, this poses a problem for the employer. If the company pays you for a trial period, it legally implies an employment relationship. What if the employer does not want to employ you afterward? The company might, in this case, be faced with legal action.

Because of these legal implications, many industries are moving towards implementing unpaid trials. But these are supposed to be fair. If you do decide to go ahead with an unpaid trial, make sure it is a true test. Also, confirm with your prospective employer that anything you produce during the unpaid trial will be for assessment purposes only. The employer should provide any tools or materials for you to use during the trial. If, for example, you are trying to get a job as a typist. Your prospective employer will probably want you to perform a typing test to assess your suitability for the job. If you are asked to transcribe some audio recordings, you should not have to transcribe recordings that pertain to real projects. You should only give a sample for them to review. Note that state and/or local laws may apply to any pre-employment trial, test or try-out.

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5. Intellectual Property

Intellectual property refers to property that includes the intangible creations of the human intellect. It primarily includes copyrights, trademarks, and patents. But when it comes to most people, intellectual property consists of things like designs, presentations, or processes for yourself or another company. When you are interviewing for a position, you take your portfolio with you and go through it with your prospective employer or HR person. You will probably mention your achievements and things you have created in the past as solutions to previous problems. The problem comes when your prospective employer wants you to send them something that is your intellectual property.

It is not reasonable for an interviewer to ask you to send them a PowerPoint presentation that you might have put together for your previous employer. It is also a bad idea for them to ask you to send a transcript of the speech you made at a conference. This is your intellectual property and yours alone. They have no right to such material. If they ask you for such things, a big red flag should go up in your mind. Your intellectual property is worth a great deal. If you give it away, once again you’re giving away your power. Don’t let that happen to you. You have no idea what a prospective employer will do with whatever you hand them. They could claim it as their own, even before hiring you. Whatever you do, keep your intellectual property close to your chest, and don’t share it with someone who says they’re giving you a job.

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6. Specific Solutions to Their Problems

If you’re in the interviewing stages of a job, the last thing you want to do is give them specific advice on how to solve their problems. If you solve their problems for them before you even start work, why would they need to hire you? They’ve already extracted all that valuable advice from you. Paying you a salary is no longer necessary because they got the advice for free. If you give them detailed assistance with their big problems, you are acting as an unpaid consultant. And consultants usually come with a hefty price tag. Another problem might be if you draw up detailed plans for solving a serious challenge the company faces, but your advice might not dovetail with the company’s strategic plan. Your advice could, therefore, reflect badly on you if they are decided on a different strategy.

Instead, as above, spend no more than an hour on working to solve a problem the would-be employer has presented you with. It should be a hypothetical problem, and not a real one the organization is experiencing. If they give you a real problem the company faces, present them with a more general suggestion to solve the problem. That way, you can avoid providing your labor for nothing. Remember, you are a valuable individual with skills and knowledge. Sorting out the company’s problems before you start will devalue you and lessen your chances of clinching the position. Be aware of what they are asking you to do. Remember to keep things general rather than super-detailed. You can fill in the missing details once you’re on the payroll.

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7. Name Dropping

No matter how nicely a prospective employer asks you, don’t agree to introduce them to someone you know and they don’t. Find a diplomatic way of saying that any introductions to people in your network will come after you have started work. If you start introducing members of your network to your prospective boss, there is still no guarantee you will get the job. You know what they say. It’s not what you know, but who you know that counts. Any introductions you make beforehand might be freebies for a company that ends up not employing you. Your knowledge, network and connections are part of your power. They are part of the arsenal you bring to a job. To give away part of that arsenal before you’ve even got the job is asking for trouble.

Do you think that a prospective employer would introduce you to one of their clients before you’ve been formally employed? It seems unlikely. It would be like giving away a secret for nothing. They don’t know if you will accept any job they offer you, so any introductions they make to you beforehand will, for them, be sharing a valuable contact of theirs with you. Instead of introducing one of your connections to a potential boss, even if they ask sweetly, talk to them generally about your contacts. Say that you would be bringing a unique network of connections to the job if you got it. Emphasize how it has taken you some time to build up your network and that it is important to you. They will probably get the message if you approach such a request in this way.

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8. Attendance At Company Functions

Sometimes, an interviewer will ask you to attend some sort of company function. This could be something like an industry event where you are expected to represent the company and act like a member of the team. The worst is for an organization that expects you to attend meetings with potential clients. Equally unacceptable is when a job candidate is expected to attend a sales call as part of the interview to help sell the company to a prospective client before paying you a cent. This kind of expectation is unfair. Once again, they’re getting unpaid labor from you. What if they don’t offer you the job? You will have done considerable research and work for them for nothing. And what if you don’t want to take the job? Once again, you have wasted your valuable time and effort.

This is not the way to start a sound relationship between employer and employee. You should never be expected to act on behalf of the company if you are not an employer yet. This might even land the company in a difficult legal position if something bad happens to you while you are working on behalf of them. If you are asked to attend a company event or any other kind of organizational function before you have been employed, politely but firmly refuse. They will probably know they’re changing their arm anyway, so your refusal will probably not come as a surprise. If they say your attendance at some event where you must behave as part of the team as a requirement for employment, it’s time to think twice about the job.

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9. Key Information From Previous Employers & Clients

As a former employee of any organization, you owe them confidentiality. You might even have signed a confidentiality clause in your employment contracts in the past. This means you may not disclose proprietary information about former employers to anyone, including a prospective employer. Every organization has information they don’t wish to be public. This could include the identity of clients, financial information and details about human resources issues. You have a duty to keep information such as this to yourself, both before you get a job and afterward. Revealing proprietary information such as designs from a previous employer could even land you in legal trouble. The same goes for previous clients. The identity of company clients is often kept confidential for various reasons. The names of patients who consult a psychiatrist, for example, should be confidential for anyone who has worked for the psychiatrist.

Revealing the identity of former clients could cause harm to them. You should avoid telling a prospective employer about clients of a former employer. This might also disadvantage your former company, too. A potential employer might be looking to poach clients from your previous firm. This is particularly unfair before you have even agreed to take a job. It’s also questionable before if you land the position. You will probably earn a prospective employer’s respect if you refuse to disclose sensitive information about previous employers or clients. Any company worth their salt should appreciate the importance of keeping confidential information away from prying eyes. Earn your future boss’s respect by avoiding naming names or giving away plans. Your future career is at stake.

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10. Don’t Be a Sucker

So you’ve been through the interview process and they say you’ve got the job. The only snag is they want to get their paperwork in order before they put you on the payroll. Or they say that before you can start the job, they need to finalize their budget. What do you do in the meantime? Maybe they even expect you to hang around the office while they get their act together. This situation is unacceptable. The only way other people will learn to value you is if you value yourself. Are you going to sit around for days, maybe weeks, while they get their house in order? Do you want to work for a company that is disorganized? Do you trust them enough to wait it out?

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The best advice for this kind of situation is to turn around and walk out the door. This would be understandable if you have given them some time to get their act together. If, after a day or two they still haven’t sorted themselves out, ask them when they will be ready to employ you formally. If they still can’t tell you, politely explain that you can’t live with such uncertainty, and no compensation to boot. It might be disappointing to go through the whole process only to walk away, but your career will benefit. A company that makes you wait for them to accomplish something probably doesn’t deserve your efforts. You may want to cut your losses and leave before you waste too much time waiting.

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11. Stepping Stone

Alright, so you are new to a particular field and you have certain goals and aspirations. That’s great, but it is something you want to keep low-key at a job interview. It doesn’t matter if you are a bottom-rung employee or a CEO, because nobody likes being used. Especially in the professional world. If you see the job as a mere stepping stone to the top, keep it to yourself. Sure, you want to sell the fact that you want to move up in the world and that you are eager to learn. However, if the interviewer interprets this ambition of yours as something that could hurt the company, you can forget about landing the job. Every company has their own interests at heart and will look to build the company.

They are looking for individuals who will play a part in reaching a goal, not use the company as a stepping stone to something else. Companies want to employ people with who they can walk a road. If you reveal that you only intend on using the company for experience, then you have no credibility. They can’t trust you. No one wants to hire someone who they know will ditch the company at any time. You might be the best candidate for the job on paper, but in terms of building a relationship and growing with the company, you will fail. A company wants to avoid going through the hassle of the interview and training process if they can. With every new employee comes baggage and a new person’s trust to earn. Hiring someone who plans to move on is unproductive and costs too much money.

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12. Resenting Previous Employers

At some point in time, most people have had a terrible boss, unless you are self-employed. They might even be the reason why you sought a new job in the first place. In some cases, they drive you as far as to hate the job you once loved. They may even prompt you to change careers completely. However, regardless of how terrible they have treated you and how worthless they made you feel, you should keep to yourself. First off, you never know who might be sitting in the interview room with you. The world is truly small and you might just badmouth a relative of one of the panel members. It doesn’t even matter if you went into a completely new field. Speaking ill of your previous employers can only result in not getting the job.

When you badmouth your previous company, it speaks volumes about the loyalty you have towards a company. The interviewers could interpret this as a selfish characteristic and label you as a lone wolf and not a team-player. Your trustworthiness comes under scrutiny, because of you can say that about your previous company, what is to stop you from doing the same again? Lastly, you come across as a difficult person. Nobody likes a whiner. So if you complain about your previous boss, you look like a high maintenance complainer. Even if you have to grind your teeth while saying it. Admit the truth, that you gained valuable experience and it was a great learning opportunity for you. You just felt compelled to seek a new challenge. You need to come across as a glass-half-full kind of person.

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13. Desperation

This is one of the more difficult things that you need to hide. Under no circumstances do you want to give your future employers a hint that you are desperate. That sends the wrong message. It doesn’t matter if you are in financial crisis or whether your medical insurance is running out. The fact that you are there for an interview already means that you need a job. The thing about desperation is that you can’t trust it. When someone is desperate, they will say just about anything to get what they want, even if it is a lie. For an employer, the red lights start flashing and they will see through the facade you are trying to hold up. They won’t be able to trust you, so your file goes to the bottom of the pile.

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Desperation has another ugly side, and that is the weakness. When you appear desperate, you don’t show you have ambition. It shows the exact opposite, that you are satisfied with scraps and don’t have any drive to move forward in the world. When you come across as desperate, you undervalue yourself. It shows you don’t believe in yourself and the value you can bring. Certain employers can also extort this desperation and offer you something not worthy of your talents and skills. They will underpay you and make you believe that you are only worth the scraps. Ultimately, you stop growing and believe the lie that the desperation birthed. Don’t fall into the trap of desperation. Rather, focus on your strengths and the value you can bring to a company.

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14. Your Real Weaknesses

This is a tricky one because you want to be honest in an interview and provide an accurate portrayal of who you are. However, you can skimp on the details when it comes to your weaknesses. You can mention a weakness, but it shouldn’t be one that could interfere with the work you are doing to do. In general, you don’t get this question in an interview because your employers actually want to know what your weaknesses are. They merely want to see how you handle yourself when you are put on the spot and if you can hold your own. If anything, this question is more about your resolve than your weaknesses.

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That being said, be prepared for this type of question and provide an answer that exposes a non-essential weakness. You should be able to sell this as one of your major issues with yourself, so that means details. Details of how you became aware of the weakness and why you consider it as a weakness. You should be able to turn that weakness into an admiring trait. Another reason why you might get this question is for the interviewers to see how well you know yourself. They want to see that you are in control of who you are and that you don’t come with unresolved baggage. Everyone has weaknesses, but not everyone is aware of what they are. The more self-aware you are, the better you will be able to predict what your behavior is going to deliver. It makes you predictable and trustworthy. In this case, predictability is good because your employers don’t want a curveball and come to realize that they hired the wrong person.

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15. Your Hunt

When you start sending out your resume, you may get a call back from more than one company and then your interview process starts. Whatever your reasons were for applying at the different companies doesn’t matter. What matters is that the company doesn’t know about the other companies you sent your resume to. This is information that could jeopardize your chances of landing a job you would want. If you spill the beans on where you sought other employment, you might become a victim of going for interviews at rival companies, they might start to question your loyalty. However, vain it sounds, it happens and you don’t need that kind of a headache.

If you spill the beans too early, you will be throwing away one of your most valuable wage bargaining chips. If you get two offers and like both offers, you could use the information to sweeten your wage negotiation. You have to be careful not to become greedy, though. If you market yourself too high, your employer may think that you are not worth the effort and let you go. The opposite can also happen. If your future employer is aware that you are in the running for another job as well, they might decide to ride the wave and see what the other company is going to offer you. Then they have the bargaining chips in hand and can either tell you to take the job or shove it. They could even end up paying you less than what they would have offered in the beginning.

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16. Pride Cometh Before the Fall

People sometimes go to an interview with the mindset they are the best at what they do and will gladly share that information with the interviewers. That in itself is not a bad approach. The way in which you convey that message, however, is what’s important. You don’t want to come across as arrogant and boastful. This tells the panel that you don’t care about the views of other people and you are not a team player. When you boast about how good you are at your work or say you are the best, it raises questions about whether you can learn from other people.

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The fact that you are right in what you do should be evident in what you can do, not by what you say. Actions speak louder than words, so if you can make the panel see that you are good at what you do, but still have the capacity to improve, they will be impressed. If there is something that an employer likes, it is someone who is competent. What they want even more is someone who is qualified and who has not reached a ceiling yet. When you show the interview panel that you are the best at what you do without expressly saying it, they will respect you even more. They will see that the pride has not gone to your head. This will show them that you are both willing to learn from other people and also pass on what you know to the people around you.

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17. Pretending

There is a famous saying that says you should fake it till you make it. It tells you to lie and pretend to get a position. If you fake some aspect of who you are or what you can do, you might get the job. But you are also setting yourself up for embarrassment or worse. It doesn’t matter whether it is a personality trait or whether it is a skill that you are faking, you could cause yourself and possibly the people around you harm. Under no circumstances should you paint a false picture of who you are. If your true colors come shining through when you are on the job, you might leave with your tail between your legs or get fired for not doing your job correctly. That being said, you shouldn’t spill all the beans of who you are either. You want to impress the panel and assure them that you are what they are looking for.

However, you also want to keep a few things hidden, not because you are ashamed or embarrassed about it, but because you want to impress them even further. When you spill all the beans at once, you could create an expectancy of something you can’t deliver. You create a standard that is difficult to sustain. And if you get the job, you burn out before you know it. What is worse is that you will create a super employee, and if you can’t deliver the goods constantly, they will think you are a fraud who lied just to get the job. Balance is the key, so you neither want to oversell or undersell your worth.

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18. Don’t Get Too Personal

Every employer wants to have an idea of who they are going to employ. That is why they throw a couple of personal questions into the mix. But you don’t want to give them too much personal information. When you overshare your personal details, it is like someone who is trying to sell something too hard. You may have come across salesmen and women who have tried too hard to sell a product. When they do this, you probably get annoyed. So regardless of whether the product or service is good, you won’t buy it because you just want to get away. The same thing happens in an interview, If you reveal too much, the panel will think you don’t have a filter and that you might leak information.

You want to keep the personal info as professional as possible. Only answer the question, because you don’t have to go into the details. There are chances that could reveal something about yourself that could scare an employer off. Although companies might not discriminate against you on purpose, revealing certain details about your life could spell the end of your interview. For instance, steer away from mentioning that you have toddlers. The panel could see this as a warning light because they know how much time kids take up, especially toddlers. There are some personal questions you can’t get away from. But you can decide how many details to add to your story. This is one area where less is more. Keeping your response clean and professional will go a long way in sketching an accurate portrait of yourself. You can fill in the rest of the details when you start your new job.

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19. Negative Experiences Of Previous Jobs

The consensus on sharing negative aspects about your previous place of work is that they should be left where they belong – in your previous place of work. Speaking to the interview panel and giving them details about your past experiences will provide them with the impression that you’re a person who holds grudges. By listing too many negatives about your past job, they will conclude that you’re unable to move on and cherish an experience as a stage in a learning process.

You want to avoid any negative remarks, personal attacks or problems that you have with anyone. Companies are looking for employees who are forward-thinking and choose not to dwell on the past. Some panels purposely ask about “negatives during your last employment,” and you should be ready. In such cases, say something along the lines of “I am aware that there are miscommunications, but I am more focused on resolving them for the greater good, not dwelling on them.”

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20. Project Failures From The Past

Sharing details about failed projects and mishaps in your career is undermining your chances of getting hired. Of course, you don’t have to come off as impeccable and unable to make a mistake, but you should also watch what you speak. Telling the interview panel about past failures will be an indicator to them about what to watch out for with you. You will accidentally emphasize your negative traits, which can disqualify you from getting the job.

If asked to speak about such a subject, politely focus on the positives of some situations. Emphasize how you tried hard, but the situation ended up getting the best of you. Don’t worry. Employers know that everyone is prone to failures. What they want is someone who can account for their mistakes and learn from them to become a better expert in their field. The golden rule of being interviewed is – focus on the future.

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21. Relationship/Marital Problems

Everyone is going through something, but they find it hard to admit to themselves that it’s nobody’s problem but theirs. Lots of people, when going to a job interview, see it as an opportunity to vent and gain sympathy points. Nobody is going to hire a candidate just because they’re going through something. As an employee, you will be asked to do your job first and foremost and leave your problems at the office door. From the first interview, you have to maintain a professional distance. It’s merely business etiquette.

The interview panel won’t pity you or see you as a “noble warrior” who can get out of bed despite having problems. They will instead see you as an unstable person who doesn’t have the ability to separate work from their private life. Personal issues can only be mentioned once you’ve been hired and became established in the company. Things like going to see your divorce lawyer will be tolerated, but job interviews are no place for personal problems. Don’t give such information to anyone with whom you want to have a professional relationship.

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22. Medical Problems That You Can Handle Easily

If you have any medical issues or disabilities that might hinder your performance at work, by all means – tell the interview panel. They will appreciate the honesty, and they will be aware of any accommodations they have to make for you. Even though you aren’t forced to reveal your medical records or any health-related information, serious problems are a good thing to share. Anything other than that can be a potential disaster.

Like we’ve said, nobody is forcing you to disclose any information, but giving out your insignificant health problems might make you seem like a person who doesn’t have enough willpower to fight through. In most cases, it will come off as whining, and you will end up leaving a wrong impression. To avoid this, don’t disclose any irrelevant medical problems. If you have an allergy or nasty flu, they will notice when you get hired. It’s normal and happens to everyone, but leave it out of the interview.

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23. Further Education Plans

The reason why you should never give information about your future education plans is mainly job security. We’ve mentioned that you should keep a future-oriented outlook throughout the interview, but education is an exception. If you want to get a master’s degree or Ph.D., do so by all means. However, mentioning them during an interview will make it seem like getting hired is not a priority. By talking too much about education, you will make it sound like you want the job to kill time.

Interview panels love candidates who want to work for them because they love the vision and want to make advancements. A vast majority of people works because they want to make ends meet, but exclaiming such a thing is a red flag for every employer. Talking about education plans makes it seem so. Instead of talking about the plans you’ve made, tell them about how you want to use your existing knowledge to be a better employee. It’s the same thing but sends out an entirely different message.

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24. Visa-Related Issues

It’s illegal to discriminate against someone and not hire them just because they’re a foreigner. Many employers do show an understanding for people who experience difficulties because of their ethnicity. However, no interview panel will want to hear about your visa-related problems. It is an unfortunate difficulty, but it is something that’s solely your responsibility, and it doesn’t concern the people interviewing you.

By giving this information to them, you’re disqualifying yourself from being a worthy candidate for the position you desire. You won’t cause sympathetic reactions nor help yourself in any way. Instead, you will be seen as an unreliable person who can’t even take care of their residence issues in time. Having visa issues is by no means a reason not to apply for the job. Give your best, and everything will be okay when you resolve the problems you’re having. Never give unnecessary info.

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25. Financial troubles

This is yet another mistake that falls under the category of “personal information being given.” What doesn’t impact your performance at work and in your new workplace doesn’t have a place in the interview. Financial difficulties can plague anyone, regardless of position or age. The one thing in common is that everyone works to earn money to pay off their loans and mortgages. It’s up to you on what will happen with your salary.

Often, candidates try to “haggle” for bigger pay. In some cases, citing arguments like your previous pay or a better offer might work, despite being risky. Listing your plethora of financial problems is never acceptable. You will sound like you’re begging for more money. It’s just not your future employer’s business what you do with your money. Besides, the panel must have heard the same sad story a thousand times. Instead of giving this information, do your best and work hard to pay it off.

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26. Commit To Bringing In Your Team

Changing companies is not medieval warfare – nobody is expecting you to give your new employer data related to your previous workplace. It is not considered a favor that you do to your new employer – it’s borderline illegal and a breach of professional etiquette. Nobody wants an employee who will stop at nothing to gain the favor of his new coworkers. Instead of thanking you, everyone will see you as shady and untrustworthy. Those are just about the worst traits you can have.

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By proposing that you could reveal some data about your previous company, you will immediately be disqualified. In some states, disclosing confidential information is a criminal offense. Another blunder that often takes place in interviews is people vouching for their colleagues and try to get them hired as well. The professional world doesn’t function that way, and group interviews are not a thing. If you wish to help your colleagues follow you to your new job, give them tips on how to apply.

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27. Details Of An Ongoing Deal Or Project

This is also revealing confidential information. Despite what most people, companies don’t try to undermine each other for an advantage on the market. On the contrary – they try to maintain a fair level of competition. If an interview panel openly asks you to reveal details about something related to an ongoing project or deal, you are free to report them, and they will face the consequences. However, this goes vice-versa as well.

Having sensitive information that you can reveal is not leverage. Handling that information and giving it carelessly can backfire. An interview panel will immediately conclude that you’re prone to schemes and will refuse to hire you. Why would they hire someone that will be in a position to reveal their confidential details to a third party? No matter how desperately you need that job, obtain it and earn it with your skills and your virtues, not through schemes. You will be facing legal problems if you resort to such acts.

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28. That You Like Someone From The Panel

Some people are likable and people who are not. Regardless of that, you will have to cooperate with both types of people over the years. The same is true for job interviews. Your panel will consist of different people. You already know that it’s unacceptable to act rude because you don’t like someone, but it’s equally detrimental to show someone that you openly like them. It’s unprofessional and can ruin your chances of getting hired. Personal things have no place in an interview room.

While a pleasant person might lighten the mood and make the interview easy, you must stay professional. Focus on your skills, ideas, and credentials without swaying to the personal side of things. If you like the person, you can chat with them if you’re hired. Who knows, they might become your coworker. For now, you should leave things as they are. Be confident, smile, but above all else – be cordial and professional to the members of the panel.

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29. Your Office Phone Number

Your application will contain some contact info, like an email or social media profiles. During a job interview, the panel will likely ask you for a number through which they can contact you. If you have a stationary phone at home, give them the number, along with your personal and business mobile number. One thing you should never give is a phone number at your current workplace. Giving such a thing out can cause significant problems for everyone.

Landline office phones are often a very complex network. Your current employer might easily do a Google search and find out who was calling you. Another issue that might come up is that a call you aren’t able to take might end up being redirected to board members or even to the reception. This will be a clear sign that you’re actively fielding calls from a prospective employer. You may face the consequences because of this, especially if you don’t get the job you’ve applied for.

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30. Telling An Interviewer To Do A Background Check

Telling someone that you have nothing to hide is a sign that you have something to hide. You don’t need to reassure your prospective employer that your record is clean. If they are interested, they will do their due diligence and run multiple checks to see if you have hidden something from them. Although you can get in trouble for hiding your criminal record from a company, acting over-protective will indicate that you don’t want something to be known.

Photo Credit: Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock

Such erratic behavior has no place during an interview. The interview panel should be the ones to mention the background check if it pops up during the conversations. Otherwise, stick to your strong suits and make sure you radiate confidence and integrity. Telling a prospective employer that you have nothing to hide won’t make you trustworthy. Thus, you should leave the background checks to other and stop worrying about them.

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