What not to do in a job interview

Looking for a new job? Research in the Journal of Business and Psychology details what not to do in the interview.

The study worked on the basis that anxiety during the interview process could stop organisations hiring people, and looked at why anxious job candidates were seen to perform badly.

Researchers videotaped and transcribed mock job interviews of 125 university students. 18 interviewers rated the students on anxiety and performance, and they were also rated by experts.

They found that the amount someone talked was a cue that both interviewees and interviewers used as a sign of anxiety, with people who spoke few words per minute being perceived as more nervous.

"Overall, the results indicated that interviewees should focus less on their nervous tics and more on the broader impressions that they convey," says researcher Amanda Feiler. "Anxious interviewees may want to focus on how assertive and interpersonally warm they appear to interviewers."

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