10 Top Mistakes People Make in Job Interviews

By Dave Johnson | CBS Money Watch - Tue, Feb 12, 2013

You can never be too prepared for a job interview -- you never know what minor element of your personality or presentation can make or break your chances.  But while you maybe polished to a luster for the usual interview questions and your resume is gleaming, what about some of the other intangibles involved in getting hired?

After all, for better or for worse about a third of hiring managers assess candidates and make a hiring decision within the first 90 seconds or so.  Fair?  Of course no.  But it does mean that it's critical to control those elements that aren't just about your previous job performance.

Recently, education research firm Classes and Careers published an interesting infographic that rolls up a slew of less obvious things that influence the hiring process.

For starters, there are a slew of nonverbal queues that hiring managers consider mistakes that can cost you the job.  The most egregious one?  Failure to make eye contact is at the top of the list.  Other deal-breakers include failing to smile, bad posture and fidgeting.

In addition, your choice of clothing is important.  More than half of hiring managers say that your choice of clothes can be the deciding factor when choosing among similar candidates.  In particular, it can be a liability to dress too fashionably or trendy.

According to Classes and Careers, here are the 10 most common mistakes people make at job interviews:

10. Over-explaining why you lost your last job
  9. Conveying that you're not over having lost your last job
  8. Lacking humor, warmth or personality
  7. Not showing enthusiasm or interest in the job
  6. Inadequate research about the position or company
  5. Concentrating on what you want rather than what the company needs
  4. Trying to be all things to everyone
  3. Winging the interview
  2. Failing to set yourself apart from the other candidates
  1. Not asking for the job

7 Employer Danger Signs: When to Turn Down a Job Offer

Article by Charles Prudy, Monster Senior Editor

According to the US Department of Labor, the average employed adult spends 7.5 hours a day on the job. Over time, that adds up to a significant chunk of your life, so (as many people know from experience) an unhappy work situation can make the rest of your life pretty miserable as well.

For that reason, you'll want to avoid working for a miserable company.  But how can you spot a bad company to work for? By doing your research and looking for the following seven warning signs during the hiring process.

1. Communication with you is unprofessional or disrespectful. Your treatment during the hiring process is a clue as to how you'll be treated as an employee.
2. The recruiters and hiring managers actively distrust you. Just as you don't want to make a bad career move, employers don't want to make a bad hire--so expect a background check and reference check. These checks should all be carried out in a non-accusatory manner.
3. The workplace seems unhappy. You shouldn't take a job without paying a visit to where you'll be working. Note the attitudes and interactions of the workers there as well as the overall environment.
4. The company has a bad reputation. The Internet makes it easy to find out what former and current employees have to say about a company. Doing your research into this aspect of an employer should be part of how you prepare for a job interview.
5. You don't think you'll get along with your boss or colleagues. Be sure to discuss work styles and communication styles with the hiring manager to make sure they are at least compatible with yours.
6. The job's duties are unclear, or your interviewer can't define what success in the role will look like. After you have interviewed with one or two people, you should have a clear idea of how your job performance will be measured and what your key objectives will be in your first few months on the job.
7. They want to hire you right away, without any interviewing or reference checks. Desperation on the employer's part can be a danger sign. In the hiring process, recruiters and managers often rely (at least a little bit) on their "gut" when making decisions about candidates. Trust your gut, too. If it doesn't feel right, do a bit more research before accepting a job offer.

For more details visit http://career-advice.monster.com