Hunting for a new job can be stressful and exciting at the same time and there is no shortage of advice on what to do to get your dream job. Almost as important as what you should do is what you should not do. Being prepared, researching the company or your interviewer, and putting on your best performance are all common tips when vying for that new job. When you are job hunting you might be tempted to fall into some bad habits thinking that it will help you get ahead. In the end it might be more important to have some reminders on what not to do.

What Not to Do When Job Hunting

Never lie on your resume or in the interview. Padding your resume can even be risky since you might actually get the job and find that you do not have the skill required once you show up on the first day. These days a quick search on the internet can show if you truly did the courses you said you did or worked at the level you said you did.

It is never appealing to appear needy. It is always a good idea to follow up after an interview but if you hound them then it will turn them off of you as a person no matter what your skills are. It is never good to be too desperate looking when job hunting. If you get too personal in an interview it can also turn the interviewer off. Showing the best side of your personality is a plus but you do not what to reveal all of the skeletons in your closet to someone you just met.

No interviewer wants to hear you undermine others. Passing the blame onto your past coworkers shows what kind of employee you will be in the future. If you undermine others then you will probably find yourself back to job hunting as soon as you leave the interview.

Burning bridges by talking trash about your current boss and coworkers is a big no no. It will only show that you are quick to throw others under the bus and you will likely do the same at your next job.

Interviewers listen closely for these clues to see what kind of employee you will be but also to see what kind of ex-employee you will be. It is easy to get wrapped up on what to do for an interview but it can be just as important to know what not to do when you are job hunting.