Top ten interview blunders: What not to do

In the intense pressure of a job interview, we’ve probably all made blunders of which we’re ashamed to think. But then there are the blindingly awful, irrecoverable gaffes that go way beyond listing ‘perfectionism’ (or working too hard) as your one weakness.

This is a list of ten such hilarious howlers, which CareerBuilder recently released. The best thing about them is that they are all ‘real life’ examples provided by hiring managers that participated in an online survey. So, for your information, this candidate is probably not a good fit, if:

1. She told you she had to quit a banking position because she was always tempted to steal
2. He denied having his cellphone with him, despite the fact that it was clearly ringing inside his briefcase
3. She reached over and placed her hand on your knee
4. He remarked that he was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done – whether legal, or not
5. She gave the company president a hug
6. He called his wife to see what they were having for dinner
7. She asked to postpone the start date so that she could collect holiday gifts from vendors in her current job
8. He pulled a sickie, calling in to his current employer…during the interview
9. She refused to answer a question because she thought you might steal her idea and not hire her
10. He emptied your lolly jar into his pocket

***More than 2,600 US hiring managers and human resource professionals participated in the online survey conducted in November 2012 by Harris Interactive.