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These 10 job interview mistakes can destroy your chances of getting hired

By Mike Timmermann
By Mike Timmermann

Nearly half of employers know if a candidate is a good fit or not within the first five minutes of a job interview, according to a new CareerBuilder study conducted by The Harris Poll.

So, how do you ace an interview? There are some key mistakes to avoid if you’re making a career change in 2018.

Top 10 job interview mistakes to avoid

The job search website reached out to employers and hiring managers to get their feedback. Here are the top 10 things that will instantly eliminate applicants from consideration:

  • Candidate is caught lying about something: 71%
  • Candidate answers a cell phone or texts during the interview: 67%
  • Candidate appears arrogant or entitled: 59%
  • Candidate appears to have a lack of accountability: 52%
  • Candidate swears: 51%
  • Candidate dresses inappropriately: 50%
  • Candidate talks negatively about current or previous employers: 48%
  • Candidate knows nothing about the job or company: 45%
  • Candidate has unprofessional body language: 43%
  • Candidate knows nothing about the industry or competitors: 35%

There are some less obvious mistakes to avoid as well, especially when it comes to body language. Hiring managers say you should make eye contact, smile, avoid fidgeting, sit up straight, don’t touch your face and have a good handshake.

Don’t overlook the quality of your voice either. Fast talkers should slow down and lower their tone to project confidence.

Before you get to the interview phase, you need a resume that will stand out from the competition. In the picture below, does your resume look like the one on the left?

A career expert shared with Clark.com her secrets to resume success. Here's how to fix yours up!

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