1. Not being Prepared

Not being able to answer the question "What do you know about this company?" might just end your quest for employment, at least with this employer. Background information including company history, locations, divisions, and a mission statement are available in an "About Us" section on most company web sites. Review it ahead of time, then print it out and read it over just before your interview to refresh your memory.

2. Dressing Inappropriately

Dressing inappropriately can work both ways. You will certainly want to wear a suit if you are interviewing for professional position. But you are interviewing for a construction job, for instance, you may dress casually but decently.

If you aren't sure what to wear, visit the organization and watch employees coming in and out of the office to see what they are wearing. Alternatively, visit their website for photos of employees at work.

3. Poor Communication Skills

It's important to communicate well with everyone you meet in your search for employment. It is, however, most important to positively connect with the person who might hire you.

Shake hands, make eye contact, exude confidence, engage the person you are speaking with, and you will let the interviewer know that you are an excellent candidate for this position - before you even answer an interview question.

4. Talking Too Much

There is nothing much worse than interviewing someone who goes on and on and on, The interviewer really doesn't need to know your whole life story. Keep your answers succinct, to-the-point and focused and don't ramble - simply answer the question.

5. Saying Bad Things About Past Employers

Your last boss was an idiot? Everyone in the company was tough to get along with? You hated your job and couldn't wait to leave? Even if it's true don't say so.

It's sometimes a smaller world than you think and you don't know who your interviewer might know, including that boss who is an idiot, You also don't want the interviewer to think that you might speak that way about his or her company if you leave on terms that aren't the best.

I will post more oral interview blunders when next I log on. So be sure to check the updates.

Meanwhile I have an ebook I'm giving away free on the Best Answers to Tough Oral Interview Questions. Use the email address below to contact me if you need a copy.

Okwi24@gmail.com

excellent post, broda. God bless u

Just to add this too:

Excellent topic.
There's this word (sentence) that is common among latest graduates, it should be avoided
the word or sentence is : ''AS IN''

Indeed, many of have acquired faulty speech habits that have now turned to albatross on their necks. As Morosky narrated in his own experience, "yeah" is one of them. I was guilty of the same offense at an interview at some point.

Some of these habits came from imitating American pop gangsters, who by way are also struggling to speak correct formal English, and from speaking "Campus Pidgin"

We can correct these communication lapses by following standard English broadcasts on TV [CNN, BBC, etc] or Radio [I'd recommend BBC and VOA as well] and by reading well written novels and magazines [my recommendations are Newsweek and Time [both foreign magazines] { Old copies are available for less N50 each}.

Yesterday, I listed 5 common oral interview blunders. Here are more gaffes to beware of.

6. Giving the Wrong Answer

Make sure you listen to the question and take a moment to gather your thoughts before you respond. You'll knock yourself out of contention if you give the wrong answer and you can this by responding to questions like a parrot.

Always pause briefly before answering any question even if you have a prepared answer. This gives the interviewer the impression that you're a thoughtful person.

7. Not Talking Enough

It's really hard to communicate with someone who answers a question with a word or two. Interviewers find candidates who talk in mono or bisyllables unpleasant. This is a sure way to guarantee you're not hired.

So, even though you shouldn't talk too much, you do want to be responsive and fully answer the question as best you can.

8. Fuzzy or Confusing Facts

Even if you have submitted a resume when you applied for the job, you may also be asked to fill out a job application. Make sure you know the information you will need to complete an application including dates of prior employment, graduation dates, and employer contact information.

And be sure to memorize these dates before the interview.

I'll post more oral interview gaffes to avoid in coming days.

ofurufu:

Just to add this too:

It has become habitual of me to answer YEAH instead of YES,when I need to answer in the affirmative,and this came to play when I was having the final stage interview/chat with the Chief Operating Officer of the company I'm working now.

In the course of the interview,I said YEAH as a response to a question and my interviewer,the company's COO corrected me that yeah was a casual slang and that I should not say that to her again. I said: Sorry,Thank you,a nd the interview continued.

Reflexively, few minutes after,before the interview ended, I still said yeah to her. Immediately, I retracted it and said 'I'm sorry'. She understood that I was used to it and repeating the same thing just few minutes after being corrected was something almost beyond my control and she didn't say anything this time around and the interview continued. Well, I got the job, but that incident was enough to disqualify me if it were another interviewer.

Another common word that has become habitual to many of us are:
-saying 'sha' as in 'I went there sha' or 'I sha went there'
-saying 'abi' as in 'abi I should not do it?', meant to mean 'Or shouldn't i do it?'

Although neither abi nor sha appears in my own oral communication,I'm too used to yeah and i'm working on stopping it.


Please take note of these as they count in oral interviews.

I've fallen into that trap many a time. I think we're watching too many movies, Thanks for this topic guys.

@ the house

Whats the likely answers to questions like these

1 "whats your career goal?"
2 "Who are you"
3 "Lets meets you"

I ve encountered them before.

why go for a job if you dont know what your goals are?

as for "let's meet you", talk about yourself. as in talk about your school and work experiences and how they impact your future goals in life

@ KarmaMod

what of the "who are you?" question?

mahatma G:

@ the house

Whats the likely answers to questions like these

1 "whats your career goal?"
2 "Who are you"
3 "Lets meets you"

I ve encountered them before.

'Who are you?' and 'Let's meet you?' are two ways on asking the same question. Some other interviewers will put it as 'Tell me about yourself?'. They all mean the same thing. In fact the question is usually the first,and perhaps the surest question they will ask you in any interview. And as far as I'm concerned it's the simplest question. Being the first and usually simple,anwering it well makes you gain confidence,balance and composure and that will be a good way to start.
The answer is simple because nobody knows you more than yourself,and you will able to flow well,but try not to lie as it can lead to inconsistency. Try to emphasize your achievements e.g I finished Secondary school in 1999 as the 2nd best student in my school or I graduated from UI in 2005 with First Class honours,but don't exaggerate or appear too boastful as some interviewers hate this and may want to question you further(e.g some of your interviewers may be a 2.2 graduate and may want  to test you).

A typical answer should be like this:

MY NAME IS ADESARE OLUGBAGI
I WAS BORN 23RD JANUARY 1984 (OR I'M 24 YEARS OLD OR I WAS BORN 24 YEARS AGO)
I HAD MY PRIMARY EDUCATION AT IYANFOROGI PRIMARY SCHOOL,FIDITI OYO STATE WHERE I FINISHED IN 1994.
THEREAFTER I PROCEEDED TO OMU IYA DUN SECONDARY SCHOOL, IWO OSUN STATE AND FINISHED IN 2000 AS THE BEST GRADUATING COMMERCIAL STUDENT.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR, I GAINED ADMISSION INTO OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY(NEVER SAY GREAT IFE) TO STUDY ECONOMICS, AND I FINISHED IN 2006 WITH SECOND CLASS UPPER DEGREE
I HAD A BRIEF STINT AT ORIJA MICROFINANCE BANK AS ACCOUNTING OFFICER BEFORE PROCEEDING ON NYSC. I SERVED IN TARABA STATE AND FINISHED IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR
I'M CURRENTLY IN STAGE 3 OF ICAN
MY HOBBIES INCLUDE WRITING ARTICLES AND WATCHING FOOTBALL.
THAT IS ADESARE OLUGBAGI IN BRIEF SIR.(OR THAT'S MY PROFILE IN BRIEF SIR).
THANK YOU

It appears quite long and brevity is very important but this is something about you and you should be able to flow well,and I tell you,you can say all these in 2 minutes. You may even rehearse two,three days earlier at home so that you can perfect it.It's simply saying what you have on your PERSONAL PROFILE and other relevant things in your CV. Not necessarily everything in your CV,just key things.

Now le's look at the areas I have boldened in the mock-answer I gave above:

AS THE BEST GRADUATING STUDENT: It's a way of emphasizing your achievement.You are selling yourself.Bring in your achievements in relevant areas, but don't lie,exaggerate or appear too boastful or else you are inviting tough questions!
THE FOLLOWING YEAR: You are indirectly telling them you were not a victim of JAMB. You gained admission into university the next year after finishing Secondary school. But if you are the type that had spent 5 years battling JAMB/WAEC English,then cover it as much as possible by saying something like 'I had my secondary education at xx sec. schl and my university education at yy university where I studied Economics and finished in 2006'. Here you were silent on when you finished S/school and when you entered University. You only mentioned when you finished University. However there is no way of escaping that in your CV as the YEARS you had your certificates are mandatory.But what you say,and not what you have on your CV, passes you in an interview,except where there is contradiction. But this is not contradiction,it's silence over a minor issue
ECONOMICS,ICAN: Studying Economics and now writing ICAN may trigger, from your interviewer, another question like 'You are now writing ICAN, but you studied Economics,why didn't you study Accounting then' You may answer as: 'Studying Economics and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant makes me versatile. It's going to help me a lot. Both,I believe, will be of help to me if given this job. In fact one of the world's most respected Chartered Accountants,David Dafinone, studied Economics. Frankwood,the author of the world's most popular Accounting textbook,also studied Economics for his first degree. So sir,I needed not study Accounting for my first degree before I become a successful accountant'' I bet it, this answer alone can win you the world.
OAU: Never say I finished from Obafemi Awolowo University GREAT IFE. Never first say it,as your interviewer ,if not an Ife product, may develop beef for because of it. But if after you say OAU and your interviewer adds GREAT IFE,just smile.  He wants you to feel at home. But don't first go that way. If it's a one-on-one interview,he may even go informal and begin Ife gists,it is then that you can begin to talk about Ife,but immediately another topic is started,be business-like again.
WRITING ARTICLES: This may trigger questions like:' What do you write on?' 'What do you do with the aricles?'In my case,this question is another opportunity to sell myself. I tell them(and truly too) that I have written over 40 articles that have been published in Nigerian national dailies,and I like to write on Economic,sport, and socio-political issues. But I always try to avoid anything political,as private sector organizations may not like activists/politically inclined people. Anyway,I'm neither an activist nor a politician,just like to comment on national/global issues. In my last interview(where I'm working now),I was asked whether I like politics,and I answered 'I don't like participating in politics,but I follow politics' and one of them asked me who was the new EFCC chairman, 'Farida Waziri'.
WATCHING FOOTBALL: If you truly watch football, you may include it in you hobbies and may mention it when talikng about yourself,but don't ever first say you are a fan of any club. But if you are asked then say it. In my last interview for example,the lead interviewer(the company's CFO),towards the end,asked which club I support and I said Arsenal. Another member of the interview panel(who happens to be my very friendly oga now) asked 'why Arsenal? Why not Enyimba?' I smiled(even laughed) and said ' I support Arsenal in the Preniership but Kwara United,being an indigene of Kwara, in the Nigerian league, nad everybody burst into laughter.

Keep the emails coming. I will forward the free ebook to everyone that needs it. Meanwhile I will be updating this post in a short while with more oral interview mistakes to avoid.

thank you so much guys,this thread just made my day, please OHENRY i need the free e book,my email address is ask4nedu@yahoo.com,please keep the remaining gaffes rolling,thanks

I would love to get the e-book, my email is jenniferegwu@yahoo.com. thx

i thank God for giving me people like all of you. Please can i have the ebook too. thanks.my email is jenny2ik@yahoo.com. Thanks

@ ohenry

Pls my email address is jummyyemmy@yahoo.com. Thanking you in advance

here's my e-mail, daygee70@yahoo.com
Thanx.

1. Candidate smelled his armpits on the way to the interview room.

2. Candidate flushed the toilet while talking to interviewer during phone interview.

3. Candidate told the interviewer he was fired for beating up his last boss.

4. Candidate asked the interviewer for a ride home after the interview.


Think these are not happening? Well just take care you don't fall victim to such silly mistakes.

5. Candidate answered cell phone and asked the interviewer to leave her own office because it was a "private" conversation.

6. A candidate for an accounting position said she was a "people person" not a "numbers person."

7. When applicant was offered food before the interview, he declined saying he didn’t want to line his stomach with grease before going out drinking.

Hmmm. Begins to make one wonder what some candidates are thinking during interviews.

@ ohenry
kiindly send the book to my email add; pastor4chi@yahoo.co.uk .

Ohenry,pls am interested in the e-book too.
here is my address,
faith4sure20002000@yahoo.co
Tnx in advance.

For those who wrote in for a free copy of the ebook, pls be a little patient with me. I promise to send everyone a copy.

If you haven't written in for your copy yet, do so now using any of the emails below.

I've updated the list of oral interview ebooks I'm giving away absolutely free. Send in your email address for these free copies. Use any of the emails below.

Note that all replies will be sent from 0kwi25@yahoo.com regardless which of the emails you used in contacting me.

pls i need the ebook.my email address is rolex4u24@yahoo.com. thanks.

Please i need the e- book also. My e mail is preciousomoninc@yahoo.com Thanks

It's your turn! As the interview comes to a close,you're expected to ask your own questions. Have interview questions of your own ready to ask.

You are not simply trying to get this job - you are also interviewing the employer to find out whether this company and the position will suit you.


1. How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?

2. How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?

3. Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do?

4. What is the company's management style?

5. Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I meet him/her?

6. How many people work in this office/department?

7 How much travel is expected?

8 Is relocation a possibility?

9. What is the typical work week? Is overtime expected?

10. What are the prospects for growth and advancement?

11. How does one advance in the company?

12. Are there any examples?

13. Would you like a list of references?

14. If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?

15. What can I tell you about my qualifications?

16. When can I expect to hear from you?

17. Are there any other questions I can answer for you?

Please don't ask too many questions. If you do, the Interviewer may begin to wonder the who is actually being interviewed, you or him/her.

Just select a few from among these and ask them at the appropriate time. Ability to ask the Interviewer questions proves you're self-confident.

I'll post questions you dare not ask your Interviewer next time. Ask them at your own peril.

OHENRY,PLS LET ME HAVE A SOFTCOPY AT boselayode@yahoo.com

I will be glad to have a copy
my e-mail addy is talk2walex4life@yahoo.com
Thanks man

pls I am interested in the interview guide line my email is funmidarling2000@yahoo.co.uk

hello,here is my e-mail yettydesire@yahoo.co.uk

1.What does this company do? (Do your research ahead of time!)

2. If I get the job when can I take time off for vacation? (Wait until you get the offer to mention prior commitments)

3. Can I change my schedule if I get the job? (If you need to figure out the logistics of getting to work don't mention it now, )
*
4. Did I get the job? (Don't be impatient. They'll let you know.)

Hello, please i need answers to this questions.
1. what are your strenght and weakness
2. Why should we give you this job since u are not the only one seeking for the position.

this are some of the question i was asked during an interview.
pls i need answers to the questions so i will be able to know if i actually perfomed very well