What not to say in a job interview

5 Terrible Things to Say at an Interview (Don’t Say These Things - Ever)

Source: Monster
By Amanda Frank
Monster Contributing Writer

If getting through a job interview with no major gaffs is a noble beginning for a newbie career hunter, why set such low expectations?

You already know more than we did at your age, or should if you’ve been properly taking advantage of the Internet, which simply didn’t exist when I used to walk 22 miles to school in a blizzard.

When I had my first job interview for an entry-level job straight out of university in (sorry the number pad has been disabled) there was no Monster Canada Career Advice web site to warn me against divulging my passionate feelings toward Leonard Cohen to the interviewer. As innocent as it seemed to me at the time, anything alluding to sexuality was wrong and displaying that lack of judgment cost me any further consideration for the job. I feel this is worth mentioning today, the world is more open, the Internet is a free-for-all, but the corporate world is still conservative, prim and proper (even if it’s just an illusion).

Leonard Who?

The generation gap between us may preclude any mutual experience with my favorite 76 years old poet/writer/singer whose sound is too mellow for Rock Band. Maybe you’ll pick up his music over the course of your meanderings through life and it will stir you to grow in some way. Likewise there’s the whole world of work to discover, and your place in it to conquer.

Work is another long learning process involving the accumulation of wisdom, which takes years of experience, which of course takes time. No employer hiring you fresh out of school is expecting you to know your stuff like a seasoned pro but they do want you to demonstrate judgment, dedication and responsibility.

Since we’ve already covered no-no #1 – communicating suggestive thoughts, let’s skip to the next top 5 things you should never say in an interview – ever.

Don’t Dish Out Lame Compliments or Be Chummy with the Interviewer

Greetings should match your wardrobe, business formal or corporate casual. If you’re tempted to break the ice by throwing a compliment her way say something nice about the office and leave it at that.

You might confuse her into thinking you’re a flighty fashionista if you speak more passionately about her handbag than you do about your interest in the job. If you’re a male candidate paying attention to her eyes, hair or smell, your “flirtations” will likely be perceived as lame attempts to score favoritism.

Don’t pay any false compliments because they will come across as fake. Hiring managers are sensitive if not trained to read body language emitted by people when they tell lies.

Don’t Blame Your Ex-Boss for Anything

You may want to reconsider throwing around accusations about your former boss, as it might call into question a bunch of factors, for example, the other side of the story, your own sense of accountability and issues dealing with authority. The best way to talk about a bad experience with a former boss is to wrap it up with a positive spin. Talk about how you overcame challenges citing specific examples of you honing your problem-solving skills. Show you’re team spirited. Shift into positive contributions you’ve made to team projects at work, interning or as an undergrad. Go as far back as you can go into your past experiences and include things you didn’t put on your resume or cover letter even if they’re not directly relevant to the job.

Don’t Ask the Interviewer about the Salary Range

Similar to a first date, in the first round of job interviews your goal should be to charm the pants off your prospective employer and get that ‘second date’.

Try to bond as much as possible by engaging her enthusiasm in hiring you. Make sure you sell yourself as a conceptual match before moving into awkward salary talk. Use this time to show you have loftier priorities than salary. Instead convey your interest in contributing to a stimulating learning environment.

Unless you’re asked, “what is your salary expectation?” don’t broach the subject. Be prepared to provide a realistic salary range. You’re still too green to command a very large salary, and assuming you’re still single and mortgage-free, you can afford to make less money. Instead look for valuable opportunities to learn, travel, be mentored and develop your skills.

Don’t Spill Embarrassing Personal Baggage to the Interviewer

Open-ended questions leave you a lot of leeway to make big mistakes. A great way to exercise caution is to think before speaking. Don’t over divulge personal information like your mother’s mental history, the current state of your irritable bowel syndrome or the fight you had last night with your boyfriend. To add depth to your experience your interview answers are probably going to extend beyond your work history. Besides academics you should draw on your personal accomplishments in your hobbies and athletic and artistic endeavors.

Also keep in mind that people like the sound of their own voice. She’ll develop an inexplicable complicity for you if you let her do a lot of the talking. First of all you can use this information, much like a psychic does, to feedback things she just told you she wants to hear. To get her talking ask a few prepared questions about the business and its organization. And remember to keep your own rambling in check.

Don’t Say This: “So what is it exactly you guys do here?”

When it comes time to answer ‘the final question’ with a question please don’t cross your leg, clasp your chin in feigned interest and ask, “So what is it exactly you guys do here?”

You can make yourself look good just being curious and showing that you figured out their business model all by yourself. Outshine your competitors by being exhaustively knowledgeable about the company. Use the web site, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook. This shows you’re keeping your eye on the big picture – your future. Ask a thoughtful engaging question that gets them thinking they might want to groom you for bigger better things. You may be hired for a starter job today but your dream job could be lurking around the corner office, with a plush chair and expensed lunches waiting for you to prove yourself worthy, for just a little while longer.

In conclusion, I thought I might add one more thing you should never say, “Just one sec, that’s my phone.” You shouldn’t ever interrupt an interview to take a call, unless somehow you know it’s to say your house is on fire and the person handling any emergencies that might arise while you’re at interview has suddenly slipped into a coma and can’t call 911 to save your burning cat and it’s really too small a window for anything that calamitous to happen. For the 45 minutes you’re in the interview everything you say and do should be of singular mind and focus, the job. Make a connection and you’ll make it to the next round.

Why these companies failed or are failing ?

5 big companies’ biggest blunders
Source: Investopedia
By Janet Fowler, On Wednesday June 1, 2011
It's a simple fact that trends come and go. Consumer wants and needs change over time, and companies must constantly evolve and adapt to survive. Companies that do this well can weather the economic booms and busts, and potentially thrive throughout the years. But what about when a company's poor decisions or lack of ability to evolve ultimately lead to its own decline? There's a virtually endless list of businesses that have either gone bust completely, or been bought up by other companies - living on in name alone.

1. Atari
Atari was the forerunner of the video game market through the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was known for it large selection of games, which could be found in video arcades worldwide, later followed by a video game console that allowed its fans to enjoy the gaming experience at home. The 1980s saw an increase in competition for Atari, especially with the founding of Activision - a company created by former employees of Atari. Atari had been banking on the success of its home version of the Pac-Man arcade game, only to find that the game was not as big a success as it had predicted. A series of video game flops was followed by what was probably Atari's biggest mistake of all. Nintendo offered Atari the opportunity to sell its product in North America under the Atari name. When these companies couldn't come to an agreement, Nintendo decided to sell its product independently. Nintendo enjoyed great success with the release of its home video game console, but Atari's days were numbered. Atari still produces video games, but this brand's golden age is generally thought to be relegated to nostalgia and retro-kitsch.

2. Blockbuster
Though Blockbuster may still be in business under Chapter 11 in the U.S., this company has been struggling after being forced to close a large number of its outlets (including 146 in Canada). What caused this change? To begin with, it could be argued that Blockbuster did little to foster a positive relationship with customers. After negotiating deals with movie studios, Blockbuster was able to drive out much of the competition by offering lower prices with a percentage of each rental fee going directly into profits. This put many of the smaller video rental companies out of business. Blockbuster then increased prices, but held on to customers by monopolizing the new release rental market.

In recent years, the video rental market has revolutionized, and consumers are able to access new release movies through alternative means. Pay-Per-View and Netflix allow consumers to view films without ever having to leave home. Consumers don't need to worry about late fees or out-of-stock DVDs. Some smaller video rental chains have been able to weather the storm by catering to niche markets and offering obscure, vintage or foreign films. It will be interesting to see if Blockbuster is able to find a way to stay relevant in this highly competitive market. (Don't choose this last-resort option until you learn how it will affect your future.

3. AOL
America Online started out in the 1980s, and as the company grew, it became quite popular with web surfing newbies because they provided users with a simple and straight-forward method for using the internet. AOL continued to grow, merging with Time Warner in 2000 in an attempt to become a media superpower. However, as computer users became more tech-savvy, many of AOL's customers left for other internet service providers, no longer feeling the need for AOL's simplistic and streamlined product. Consumers had some concern for the limitations that AOL placed on users, and the fact that AOL charged for the use of screen names, email and software, which many other providers offered for free. Because AOL failed to evolve with its consumers' technical abilities and their desire for unrestricted internet content, the company lost significant market share. (If a company files for bankruptcy, stockholders have the most to lose.

4. Converse
Even though Converse shoes may still be seen on many a foot worldwide, this company is now actually owned by Nike. Converse started out in the early 1900s, becoming well known for its outstanding basketball shoes. In later decades, Converse enjoyed a revival within American counterculture, including punk rockers and skateboarders, garnering up to seven per cent of the market share. Unfortunately, a series of dramas led this company into financial difficulties in the 1990s, including some athletic endorsements that ended poorly. Advertising budgets and celebrity endorsements dwindled, and Converse found that it was no longer able to compete with some of the larger athletic shoe companies. Even though Converse still had many brand loyalists, its market share shrank to an estimated one per cent by the end of 2000. This, combined with a lower average selling price for its product compared to many of its competitors meant that Converse was simply not earning a large enough profit to survive. Converse had sizable debts and filed for bankruptcy. In 2003, Nike purchased the brand and has found success in reviving its retro appeal.

5. Chi-Chi's
Chi-Chi's, a Mexican-themed restaurant, started out in 1976 and thrived, despite the fact that Mexican cuisine wasn't widely popular at the time. The company became a huge success and grew rapidly. The success of Chi-Chi's led to increased competition through the 1980s and '90s, which ate into Chi-Chi's market share significantly and forced it to file for bankruptcy in late 2003. Shortly afterward, the company's final death blow came from a massive Hepatitis-A outbreak linked to a Chi-Chi's location in Pennsylvania. At the time, the outbreak was the largest in U.S. history, with more than 650 confirmed cases linked to green onions the restaurant had served, which resulted in four deaths. Although the sickness was not linked to the staff or cleanliness of the restaurants, a number of large settlements were paid out to many of the affected patrons, forcing the company to say adios to its North American business. Chi-Chi's still operates in a handful of other countries.

The Bottom Line
Perhaps success in business has a lot do with luck, though there are some basic concepts that can be easily learned from these five companies. Never underestimate the value of building a solid relationship with your customers. Even though consumers can be fickle, companies can enjoy some amount of customer loyalty when the company is perceived as being honest and providing a solid product. Companies must be constantly reviewing customer needs so that their products and services will stay relevant. Companies must always be monitoring what their competitors are doing, and attempt to maintain an edge over their direct competition. When companies suffer from bad press, it's important that they use their public relations specialists to craft responses that won't drive fear into consumers. Companies must strategize in order to weather economic storms, as well as changing consumer trends.

Bush praised Obama after call on bin Laden

Fri May 13, 10:59 am ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Former US president George W. Bush praised the mission to eliminate Osama bin Laden as a "good call" but was "not overjoyed" by the news, ABC News reported Friday.

ABC said Bush told an audience this week that he received word that his successor President Barack Obama wanted to talk to him while dining at a restaurant.

"I was eating souffle at Rise Restaurant with Laura and two buddies," Bush said according to an ABC News contributor. "I excused myself and went home to take the call," he added.

"Obama simply said 'Osama Bin Laden is dead.'"

Bush said Obama described in detail the mission to raid bin Laden's Pakistani compound on May 2 and that he told Obama, "Good call."

Bush, who initiated the global hunt for bin Laden after the September 11, 2001 attacks, has declined interview requests since the Al-Qaeda leader was eliminated as well as an invitation from Obama to join him at Ground Zero to meet with victims' families.

But he spoke to a crowd at a Las Vegas event on Wednesday about bin Laden's death.

When asked how he felt upon learning the news, Bush said he was "not overjoyed," explaining that the campaign to track down Al-Qaeda leader was done not "out of hatred but to exact judgment."

"The guy is dead. That is good," Bush said of bin Laden. "Osama's death is a great victory in the war on terror. He was held up as a leader."

He added that the intelligence services "deserve a lot of credit. They built a mosaic of information, piece by piece."

And Bush praised the legendary Navy SEAL Team Six saying: "They are awesome, skilled, talented and brave."

Shortly after the news of bin Laden's death, Bush issued a statement saying the mission marked "a victory for America."

New pop star-turned-president takes power in struggling Haiti

By Trenton Daniel, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – Sat, 14 May, 2011
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Charismatic pop star-turned-president Michel Martelly took over Haiti on Saturday, promising to rebuild its earthquake-devastated capital, develop the long-neglected countryside and build a modern army.

The 50-year-old performer known to Haitians as "Sweet Micky" was swept to power in a March 20 presidential run-off by Haitians tired of past leaders who failed to provide even basic services, such as decent roads, water and electricity in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.

Martelly was sworn in during a power outage in front of dozens of dignitaries including former U.S. president Bill Clinton, the UN's special envoy to Haiti, and Edmond Mulet, head of the UN mission that has maintained order in Haiti since 2004. Also present was Desi Bouterse, the president of Suriname who is on trial for the 1982 executions of 15 political opponents.

Former Haiti president Rene Preval took off the presidential sash and put it on Martelly as they shook hands and embraced, but did not say anything to each other. Martelly's wife, Sophia, then came on stage and adjusted the sash as their four children joined them.

Martelly did not speak as he left parliament for the National Palace, where was to deliver a speech.

Outside the gated parliament, more than 1,000 Martelly supporters gathered.

"Today is a party for us, for the masses, because the country is destroyed," said Esaue Rene, a 28-year-old mechanic who has high hopes for Martelly. "I would like him to bring jobs so that people aren't sitting around in public plazas because they don't have anything else to do."

Martelly appealed to young voters like Rene because he is the antithesis of Preval, who is seen as aloof and uninspiring. Martelly is effusive and charming. He once joked that he'd dance naked atop the National Palace if he were elected president.

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement congratulating Martelly.

"The people of Haiti have shown patience and resolve in expressing their will and demonstrating their commitment to democracy and the electoral process," Harper said.

"This transition marks an important step on the road to recovery from the January 2010 earthquake and a milestone towards long-term stability and development."

Harper said he was looking forward to working with Martelly as he rises to meet the challenges ahead of him.

The challenges Martelly faces in fulfilling his ambitious promises were clear Saturday. He was sworn in front of the country's collapsed National Palace and a shantytown filled with thousands of people displaced by last year's magnitude-7.0 earthquake that killed an estimated 230,000 people.

During his campaign, he promised to build houses in the capital; bring economic development to the countryside; provide universal education for children; develop agriculture; and replace the discredited armed forces with a modern army capable of responding to natural disasters. The previous discredited army was disbanded by ousted former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1995.

Political observers say speeding up the multibillion-dollar reconstruction effort is paramount. That means Martelly's administration must make progress building houses for the more than 600,000 people still living in settlements; stem a cholera epidemic that threatens to spread during the rainy and hurricane seasons; and strengthen the judiciary. And a parliament controlled by political opponents from Preval's party could make passing bills difficult.

He must he do all this quickly.

"His administration will have to show progress fairly quickly in order to provide confidence to the population," said Mark Schneider, senior vice-president of the International Crisis Group in Washington, D.C.

Martelly will lead a country still divided over the presidential election itself. He was initially excluded from the runoff in favour of a candidate backed by Preval, only to be restored after the international community challenged the results.

One sign of the division: Martelly's opponents have recently alleged that he holds dual Haitian-U.S. citizenship, which would disqualify him for the presidency. He denies the allegation.

In what some view as a reconciliation effort, Martelly has invited to the inauguration both Aristide and Jean-Claude (Baby Doc) Duvalier, the former dictator who made a surprise return to Haiti in January. Neither of them attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Since Duvalier came back, the ex-despot has been charged with embezzlement and human rights abuses, and advocacy groups have criticized Martelly for inviting him.

"Martelly's facing the need to knit together a polarized country," Schneider said. "Haiti just went through an election which was riven by discord, disagreement, and unhappiness. And given the makeup of the parliament, he has the major task of forging a national government."

In the weeks since Haitian authorities declared him the winner, Martelly has toured the countryside to learn more about reconstruction projects, announced ways to finance free education, and formed a transition team, led by Duvalier's former social affairs minister, Daniel Supplice.

Martelly was well-known as an entertainer. But what kind of leader he makes, many in Haiti aren't sure.

"He's unpredictable," said Patrick Elie, a defence minister under Aristide and an adviser to Preval. "He's got teeth that can both smile and bite. He's shown that."

_ With files from The Canadian Press.

'Mother-in-law dies' on news of bin Laden killing

AFP News – Sun, 8 May, 2011
Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's first mother-in-law died of a stroke after hearing the news that US forces killed him in Pakistan, a London-based Arabic newspaper reported Sunday.

Nabih al-Ghanem, the mother of bin Laden's first wife, Najwa, was taken to a hospital in Latakia in northern Syria where she died after suffering the stroke, the Asharq Al-Awsat daily said.

It said the woman in her 70s "could not bear the bad news and lost consciousness" after US President Barack Obama announced bin Laden's killing by US commandos during a raid in Pakistan on May 2.

Bin Laden had married Najwa, his Syrian-born cousin, when he was 17, and they had 11 children, the paper said adding she had left Afghanistan a few days before the September 11, 2011 terror attacks on the United States and now lives in Syria.

In January last year, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that a son of the Al-Qaeda leader had been allowed to leave Iran to look for his mother in Syria.

Part of the bin Laden family, whose whereabouts have been unclear since the 9/11 attacks, was in Iran, the daily said, adding that bin Laden had taken a second wife in 1983 and they had three children before divorcing.

Numerous people had lived alongside bin Laden in his dwelling in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The compound housed three of his wives and a dozen of their children, according to Pakistani authorities.

At least five people were killed during the US assault: bin Laden, whose body was taken by the Americans, one of his sons, his two bodyguards -- known as the "Kuwaitis" -- and a woman, according to Pakistani security sources.

The survivors -- three women and their children -- are in Pakistani army detention.

During interrogation, the youngest of the wives, Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, a 29-year-old Yemeni, had told investigators that bin Laden had lived in the villa for five years.

Islam allows polygamy with men having the right to have up to four wives as long as they are well provided for.

Surprising find in royal wedding portrait

An extra guest in the royal wedding photos: A neon-pink toy “wiggly worm”
By Lylah Alphonse | Shine – May 6, 2011

Royal bridesmaid Eliza Lopes, 3, holds a bright pink wiggle worm in the official royal family photograph taken after Prince William married Kate Middleton last week. (Photo: Hugo Burnand/Clarence House-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

While Prince William's goddaughter Grace van Cutsem stole the show with her famous frown on the balcony of Buckingham Palace last week, another tiny royal bridesmaid, 3-year-old Eliza Lopes, had a little help getting ready for her closeup.

In the official family photograph from Prince William and Kate Middleton's lavish royal wedding, the little girl can be seen clutching a fuzzy, neon-pink "wiggly worm."

It stands out in stark contrast to her white silk dress but, according to her grandmother, Duchess of Cornwall (a.k.a. Camilla Parker Bowles), people have only just noticed it—and it's too late to do the photos over.

"Did you see the wiggly worm? That was the funniest thing," she told the Daily Mail. "I can’t believe no one has spotted it."

The toy was a gift from her step-uncle, Prince Harry, who gave it to her when she was startled by the roar of the crowd during the carriage ride after the wedding. The scared toddler saw it and started to laugh—and then refused to give it back.
"I was so worried about Eliza. She is such a lovely little thing and looked so gorgeous in her dress, but it was a very big occasion for a child of her age," Camilla said of Eliza, whose mom is Camilla's daughter, Laura Lopes. "Harry pulled this wiggly worm out of his pocket in the carriage to keep them amused. Eliza loved it so much that she wouldn’t let go."

"Can you believe it? She was holding onto my finger but in her other hand was this worm," Camilla said during a charity event yesterday.
The official royal wedding photographer, Hugo Burnand, came prepared with a few of the popular toys—as well as plenty of jelly beans—to ensure that all of the youngsters would be smiling in the family portrait.

The photos were shot in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, and feature the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, their parents, siblings, bridesmaids, and pages. The shots were taken just after the ceremony, and just before the now-famous royal kisses on the balcony.
"We had spares of everything — cables, lights, cameras, lenses — and spares for the spares," Burnand told WWD.com. "Before the day, we staged dress rehearsals with stand-ins and stop-watches. We knew that if everyone had sprinted back from Westminster Abbey, we would only have had 44 minutes to shoot."

Seven staff members helped things go smoothly, as did Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen who designed the bride's wedding dress. "In the end, we did everything in 26 minutes," Burnand said. "I promised the kids jelly beans and wiggle worms, and it worked out.”

The portrait photographer, who also shoots pictures for Tatler magazine, is a familiar sight at royal events: He photographed the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. Burnand also shot Prince Charles’ 60th birthday portrait, and says that he met the latest royal newlyweds a few times before at various events.

Clinton's explanation for dramatic raid photo

Clinton says she has 'no idea' what was happening when iconic White House photo was shot
By Matthew Lee, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – Thu, 5 May, 2011
ROME - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday she has "no idea" what she and the rest of President Barack Obama's national security team were watching at the precise moment that a photographer snapped what has become an iconic image of the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

"Those were 38 of the most intense minutes," Clinton said of the raid on bin Laden's compound by U.S. Navy SEALs. "I have no idea what any of us were looking at at that particular millisecond when the picture was taken."

The photo was taken by the White House photographer Sunday night as Obama and his national security team monitored the assault. Clinton is covering her mouth with her right hand, but she said Thursday that the gesture might not convey any special significance.

"I am somewhat sheepishly concerned that it was my preventing one of my early spring allergic coughs," she said. "So, it may have no great meaning whatsoever."

The story behind the photograph has been a subject of intense curiosity, but U.S. officials have refused to discuss details of what exactly was happening when it was taken, saying that could compromise intelligence efforts and capabilities.

Nonetheless, Clinton said bin Laden's death "sent an unmistakable message about the strength and the resolve of the international community to stand against extremism and those who perpetuate it."

"I think our resolve is even stronger after bin Laden's death because we know it will have an impact on those who are on the battlefield in Afghanistan," she said. She and other officials have expressed hope that al-Qaida sympathizers and other militants may now be more inclined to give up violence and rejoin Afghan society.

Clinton said U.S. plans to begin drawing down American forces in Afghanistan in July will continue apace even as she acknowledged that the battle against terrorism was far from over.

"Let us not forget that the battle to stop al-Qaida and its affiliates does not end with one death," she said. "We have to renew our resolve and redouble our efforts, not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but around the world. It is especially important that there be no doubt that those who pursue a terrorist agenda, the criminals who indiscriminately murder innocent people, will be brought to justice."

Many in the U.S. have questioned Pakistan's reliability as an ally, given that bin Laden was found hiding in plain sight in a military garrison town outside Islamabad. Lawmakers are questioning U.S. aid to Pakistan, something the Obama administration has said is vital to war on terror.

Clinton maintained the U.S. must remain engaged with Pakistan.

"It is not always an easy relationship," she said. "But on the other hand, it is a productive one for both of our countries and we are going to continue to co-operate between our governments, our militaries, our law enforcement agencies."

Clinton spoke during a press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. She was in Rome for a meeting of the Libyan Contact Group, representatives of 22 nations and five international organizations who are discussing ways to support the rebels fighting longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.