At the end of most job interviews, interviewers are likely to ask if you have any questions, so be ready. If you’ve done your homework and did a thorough research on the company you should be able to ask smart questions about the business or job without difficulty. You have to realize though, that you can completely ruin your chances of ever getting the job if you ask the wrong questions. There are questions that are best saved if and when you get the job offer. If you’re in the preliminary round of competitive job interviews, it may serve you best to know the types of questions that can leave a bad impression. Here are three unthinkable questions you shouldn’t ask during interviews.

1. How much does this job pay? Talk about putting yourself on a slippery slope! This definitely puts you in a bad light and makes it seem like you’re just after the money. Generally, salaries and wages are not even mentioned during the first interview. Even if you are on the third interview with the same company, the general rule of thumb is to wait for the interviewer to open up the subject. When asked, interview protocol also recommends that you don’t give a specific amount, but a salary range based on a prior research you’ve done. An even better idea is to get them to name a number first and avoid the risk of getting locked in when you give out an amount, which can be out of their range – either too high or detrimentally low from what they are prepared to pay.

2. Do I get an office? There are two detrimental things about this question: First, it sounds too presumptuous that you are going to get the job; which can permanently blow the chance of your getting hired. Second, it can raise misgivings on the interviewer’s mind about how you plan to spend your time during the work day. You could either be a work-centric who wants to concentrate on the task at hand; or you could be wasting the hours away.

3. What kind of benefits do you provide? Nothing can shut down your case quicker than the subject of benefits. The huge negative impact of this is the impression that you’re in the job to satisfy your needs. This totally defeats your purpose in letting the interviewer see what YOU can contribute to the company. You have ample time to know about company benefits once you prove yourself to be a strong candidate for the job. Of course, you want to know if the company is going to cover your health premiums and such, but you simply have to wait till you get the job offer. From there, it becomes reasonable to ask such questions that can help you decide whether to accept the position or not. If you really need to know beforehand, wait after you have had a few meetings with the company and the right department to direct this type of question is the HR (manager or personnel).

It’s quite understandable how nervousness can sometimes make you commit mistakes in a job interview. Job seekers make blunders because of anxiety and to a certain extent; you might not be in control of the situation. What you can control however, is the preparation you do for the interview and your awareness of what’s proper and appropriate. In preparing for a job interview, make sure you add a list of “Don’t Ask” questions among the things you have to remember.

Tags: Interview, interview advice, interview focus, interview questions, interviews, job, job hunt, job interview, Job Search, job tips, jobs, new job, Personal Branding, professional

This entry was posted on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 9:26 am and is filed under Applying for a Job, Career Changes, Job & Interview Questions, Job Search Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.