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Bad Interview: Top 10 Fatal Mistakes #9

by Jonathan on 4:31 pm

We are currently doing a countdown on the Top 10 Fatal Mistakes in a Job Interview. All of these are simple mistakes that lead to a bad interview . Over my years of Executive Recruiting I have worked with both entry level and executive level candidates and have been a part of some bad interviews. Just by being educating on these simple topics you can start to get the momentum to lean in your direction.

What contributes to bad job interviews?

Last post we discussed #10: Providing too Much Information

In this post we are going to discuss:

Fatal Mistake #9:  Trying to answer a question that you do not know an answer for

This is an interesting dilemma that most people handle the wrong way. You should always try to do your best and give your best examples to every question that is asked to you, but what do you do with the questions that are just way beyond your reach? Do you lie? Do you stretch the truth? Do you try to fake it and hope you can get up to speed on the job? Sometimes we are faced with this delimma and are not sure what to do. Now, you should always try to get your experience to fit somehow with the questions that are being asked, but when it feels way out of reach….

Be Honest

In most cases, you would actually be commended for your honesty. I had a candidate once who when asked a tough question simply said:

“To be honest, I do not have that type of experience. I would be lying to tell you that I did. So, instead of trying to make something up, I’m just going to admit that I don’t know.”

He said the interviewer sat back in her chair and said that no one has ever been that honest with me before in a job interview. He ended up getting the job. Now will that automatically happen to you if you give the same response? Maybe not. It is your principles and integrity that will stand out though. If you have been around accounting long then you know that those are two very important qualities.

Simply put, when you are stretching for an answer that you know nothing about, it always leads to a bad job interview. In your next interview let your integrity shine and your honesty show. Choose to be honest.

Article By

Jonathan is an Executive Recruiter/Career Coach that has successfully placed hundreds of Accounting & Finance Professionals. If you are currently struggling in your career, he is available on a limited basis for personal 1-on-1 career coaching and for resume makeovers.

  • dharmesh trivedi

    hi

    absolutely correct, in fact even i believe that honesty always pays.

    rgds

  • admin

    Sometimes it is not easy especially when a potential job opportunity is on the line, but it will catch up to you one way or another.

  • Michael Rutter

    My wife was interviewing for Accounting & Consolidations Manager with no previous Consolidations or Management experience. She passed her interview with the Controller and was interviewing with the CFO. She didn’t know the answers to almost every question he asked. After that interview, she knew she would not get the job. She has been with that company for 10 months and has become a key player in the Accounting and CRP decisions.

  • admin

    Michael,

    That is an awesome example of what I am talking about in this post. Let your sincerity and truthfulness come across in an interview. Too many people under-estimate the power of charisma, honesty, and trustworthiness. Thanks for your comment.

  • Anthony Harrison

    Integrity is listed within the stated code of professional ethics. Private practitioners and public accountants alike have an obligation to adhere to the principles that ensure our rightful place in the world of relevant, reliable, and useful figures.

    I was involved in a class assignment that tested my firm resolve along the lines of integrity. During a major exam, I noticed two of my colleagues using the Internet to confirm their anwers, an obvious violation. Following the institution’s policy on academic honest, I hesitatingly reported them to the dean. Afterwards I received threats. At certain points, I was concerned if the school was actually enforcing its policies. As it turned out, during our next exam, those very same students were given the exam in a room separate from the rest of the class – without internet access.

    Lesson: Even during the information age, honesty is still the best policy.

  • admin

    Great example. Thanks for sharing your story.

  • Kaushal Kathwadia

    This is a helpful piece of information……. Honesty should always be appreciated.