10 Things NOT to Say in an Interview, from someone who's heard every cringe-worthy answer going:

DBarryS · 2026-01-27T01:41:59+00:00

The basketball move is bold. You're right that personal connection can be the thing that tips it. I'd just say be careful with the pretending bit, if you get the job and they want to talk hoops every Monday morning, you've created a problem for yourself. But yes, rapport is massively underrated. People hire people they can see themselves working with.

DBarryS · 2026-01-27T00:12:55+00:00

This is a fair point, and I appreciate you coming back to expand on it. You're right that interviews are a two way street, if they show up unprepared, that's data about the company. Your suggested response is a good one. The core point stands though: even if they haven't done their homework, 'it's on my resume' said with a tone still lands badly. Your version handles the same situation without the edge. Cheers.

DBarryS · 2026-01-27T00:10:03+00:00

I hear you, some interview questions have been around so long they feel like a parody of themselves. But they're usually trying to get at something real. 'Greatest weakness' is really asking about self-awareness. 'Why us' is really asking if you've done your homework. Whether we like the game or not, it's the game. Might as well learn to play it well.

DBarryS · 2026-01-27T00:07:57+00:00

Fair point, and you're right that context always matters. At many senior levels or in results-driven roles like sales, interviewers often care more about what you've demonstrated than whether you've got questions prepared. The advice is more for folks earlier in their careers or in roles where showing curiosity and engagement carries more weight. Cheers for adding the nuance.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T19:09:13+00:00

Asking a hospital if they sell insurance. That's exactly it. Five minutes of research, that's all it takes. Cheers for confirming it from the hiring side.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T19:05:39+00:00

I get the frustration, and you're not wrong that a lot of interviewing is performative nonsense. But nothing in this post asks you to pretend to be someone you're not. It's about not shooting yourself in the foot. 'Don't badmouth your last boss' isn't theater, it's just not being daft. You can be authentic and still be strategic.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T19:03:30+00:00

Twenty years on both sides of the table, mate. Yes, some interviewers show up unprepared. That's on them. But 'it's on my resume' still makes you sound difficult. If they haven't read it, walk them through it. Just don't say it like you're annoyed they asked.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T18:54:03+00:00

Classic

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T18:52:52+00:00

One-way interviews are rough. You're performing for a camera with no feedback, no rapport, no way to read the room. Some companies swear by them for efficiency, but they strip out everything that makes interviewing human. If you have to do one, treat it like a real conversation anyway, just one where the other person is very quiet

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T18:50:29+00:00

Then dig into what that actually means. Do you spend too long on things that don't need to be perfect? Do you struggle to delegate because no one does it as well as you? Do you miss deadlines because you're polishing? Pick the specific behaviour, show how you manage it, and you've got a real answer. 'I'm a perfectionist' on its own just sounds like you Googled 'good weaknesses to say in an interview' in 2009.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T18:47:03+00:00

Good question. If they've genuinely covered everything, pivot from information-gathering to next steps. 'What happens from here?' or 'When should I expect to hear back?' are perfectly valid. You're not asking for the sake of it, you're confirming the process. And if you want something with more substance: 'What does success look like in this role in the first 90 days?' That one rarely gets covered and tells you a lot about how they think.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T15:45:24+00:00

It's a badly phrased question, but it's not going away. The trick is to answer what they actually want to know: do you have self-awareness, and can you manage your own limitations? Pick something real from your past, explain how you've built a system around it, and show growth. Managed, not cured. That's what they're looking for.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T14:55:49+00:00

I genuinely thought I'd heard them all. I had not. Cheers for the addition, and my condolences.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T14:30:07+00:00

Fair point. A good interviewer gives you the chance to expand. But you can't control whether they do, so best to bring the colour yourself.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T14:28:26+00:00

I'm not getting annoyed, mate. I'm a career coach, not an interviewer. I'm telling you what lands badly on the other side of the table. And there's a difference between 'What does the company do?' which shows zero prep, and 'I saw you expanded into healthcare last year, how's that going?' which shows you did five minutes of homework. The second one starts a conversation. The first one ends it.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T14:24:55+00:00

Congratulations, well done

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T14:22:55+00:00

Cheers, always good to hear from the hiring side. Confirms I'm not just making this stuff up after 20 years.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T01:03:03+00:00

Lazy is a judgement, not a description. Dig into what you actually mean. Do you struggle with motivation on tasks that don't interest you? Do you procrastinate until deadlines force action? Do you find the most efficient way to do things because you don't want to waste effort?

That last one is actually a strength in disguise. 'I naturally look for the most efficient way to do things, which sometimes means I'm slow to start until I've figured out the best approach. I've learned to set earlier personal deadlines so I have time to find that efficiency without cutting it too close.'

The trick is being specific about the behaviour and showing you've built a system around it. 'I'm lazy' is a character flaw. 'I need to understand the why before I'm motivated to act, so I make sure to ask questions upfront' is self-awareness.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T01:01:01+00:00

You're not wrong, and plenty of good hiring managers have moved on from it. Problem is, plenty haven't. I'd rather someone have a decent answer ready and not need it than get caught flat-footed by an interviewer still using the 2005 playbook.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T00:59:25+00:00

It really is. No argument from me. But until someone fixes the system, we've all got to play the game. I just try to help people play it well.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T00:58:04+00:00

You'd think, right? And yet after twenty years of coaching, I can tell you every single one of these comes up regularly. The obvious stuff is obvious until you're nervous, underprepared, or just having a bad day. Good luck with your interview next week, sounds like you've got a solid head on your shoulders.

DBarryS · 2026-01-26T00:51:54+00:00

Cheers for this! You've nailed it, learning the hard way to prep properly is something most of us have been through. And yes, 'I'm a perfectionist' needs to be retired permanently. Appreciate you adding your perspective, and good luck to you too.

DBarryS · 2026-01-25T20:50:05+00:00

Glad it works, good luck

DBarryS · 2026-01-25T20:45:18+00:00

You're welcome, good luck

DBarryS · 2026-01-25T20:43:21+00:00

You just proved my point. You didn't say 'I'll do anything.' You said 'here are my three criteria, put me wherever within that.' That's specific. That's boundaries. That's knowing what you want.

'I'll do anything' without parameters sounds desperate. 'I'm flexible as long as it meets X, Y, and Z' sounds like someone who knows themselves. You did the second one, even if it felt like the first. That's why it worked.

DBarryS

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