What to do if you don’t want that job

An article originally published in the Chicago Tribune and reprinted in the Omaha World Herald a few weeks ago listed some of the biggest mistakes made in job interviews.
As someone who has interviewed people for job vacancies, I was more than a little intrigued to see what kind of bizarre experiences others have had.
According to the survey of 2,482 hiring managers, the biggest mistake a person can make during an interview is answering a cell phone call or text message. Dressing inappropriately and appearing uninterested came in a close second.
I have never had someone answer a cell phone or send a text during an interview, but I do recall one individual coming into my office with mud all over his shoes, and grease on his holey blue jeans.
Needless to say, he didn’t get the job.   
Other top blunders cited include appearing arrogant, speaking negatively about a former employer, and chewing gum. And yes, I’ve seen all three.
But when citing the most outrageous blunders ever encountered, I must admit my dirty-shoes-holey-blue-jean-guy doesn’t hold a candle to these three:
Hugging the manager at the end of the interview;
Eating all the candy from the candy bowl;
Wearing a hat that said “Take this job and shove it.”
As absurd as some of that may sound, I can’t say I’m too surprised.
What is surprising to me is how many college graduates have no idea what to do, or not to do, when applying for a job.
So here’s a few don’ts I’ve assembled from my own interviewing experiences:
Don’t include your high school activities on a professional resume, unless you are in fact in high school. Especially odd looking when a college grad with professional experience does it;
It’s okay to apply for more than one job. But if you do, make sure you change the name of the person you are addressing the cover letter to;
During the interview, don’t tell the person hiring you how easy you think the job will be, especially if you have never done it before;
Don’t bite your fingernails, or any other body part;
Don’t tell me you are only doing the interview to meet conditions of your parole/unemployment counselor;
And last but not least, don’t brag about the amount of alcohol you consumed the previous weekend.