Checking a smartphone isn’t a smart move during a job interview because it’s the top way for a person to blow their chances with a prospective employer, finds a survey by The Creative Group.
More than three-quarters (77%) of advertising and marketing executives say they’d likely remove a candidate from consideration if the person used his or her phone during the interview.
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Advertising and marketing executives were asked, “When interviewing candidates for creative roles, which of the following do you consider to be a deal breaker (something a candidate says or does that will likely cause you to immediately discount that person from consideration)?”
Their top responses were as follows:
- Checking or answering the phone during an interview (77%);
- Showing up late without acknowledging it (70%);
- Not bringing items that were requested (70%);
- Wearing improper interview attire (69%); and
- Speaking poorly of a past job or employer (62%).
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“When walking into an interview, the assumption is that candidates are putting their best foot forward, so any unprofessional or questionable conduct will have a significant impact, regardless of how good their qualifications are for the role,” says Deborah Bottineau, senior regional manager of The Creative Group.
“Paying attention to the small details and making sure they are properly prepared for the interview will help job seekers set themselves apart from the competition and win over the interviewer.”
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The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on 400 telephone interviews: 200 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees and 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees.