Don't arrive drunk — and other tips to pass the job interview

Turning up late to a job interview or sending off a resume addressed to another company may be faux pas many jobseekers know to avoid.

Some, however, are sabotaging their chances of landing a new job by doing things most workers would never dream of.

Recruiters reveal their real-life experiences with candidates.

BEING HIGH, DRUNK, OR HUNG-OVER AND SMELLING OF BOOZE

It is more common than many workers may think for a jobseeker to have a glass or two of alcohol — or partaking in another substance — before a job interview to calm their nerves.

Whether one glass turns into 10 glasses or not, it is better to stay nervous and fumble your words than to slur them.

Jobseekers also need to remember even a slight hint of booze on their breath will send alarm bells ringing for the hirer.

The managing director and founder of recruiting company Affix Jarrad Skeen says wine-stained teeth is never a good look, while being too relaxed can also create the wrong atmosphere in the room.

"It can create a mismatch in energies between interviewer and interviewee — it's better to try and meet them on the same level, such as the same level of formality, humour, etc," he says.

"Don't let yourself get too casual as it can look complacent.

"To give yourself a confidence boost, research the company ahead of the interview, work with recruiters to understand what personality you can expect from your interviewer, and don't be afraid to do your own digging across socials to find potential professional and personal common ground."

While staying off liquids, lay off the coffee too. One cup of coffee may help jobseekers to perk up, but three cups before a 10am meeting can lead to interviewees being too jittery or unfocused.

There is also the risk of accidentally spilling it on your good shirt. But if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation and are forced to buy a new one, just remember to get the security tag taken off at the checkout.

One jobseeker forgot, then had to explain to the interviewer that they did not, in fact, steal their shirt.

GET — OR TRY TO GET — NUDE

Complimenting the interviewer on their appearance is bad enough and should be avoided (even if you really have to know where they bought an item of clothing so that you can rush out afterwards and get one yourself).

But propositioning the interviewer is no way to get the job.

It is not just deliberate flirting that jobseekers need to watch out for — take care when uploading files from your computer to the job application too.

Amy Lanigan, a consultant with McArthur says mistakes do happen.

"I've had an applicant send through a nude selfie, rather than a picture of her police check," she says.

"You should be really careful when taking photos and attaching them to applications."

But what should jobseekers do when they feel a flirtation is going the other way?

That was what one male candidate faced when the chair of an interview panel thought she was resting her leg against the table leg, when in fact she was rubbing her leg against that of her interviewee.

Perhaps sit back a bit and give everyone some personal space.

SAYING ONE THING — BUT DOING ANOTHER

Many candidates have shot themselves in the foot by unwittingly doing the opposite of the point they are trying to prove about themselves.

One jobseeker labelled himself as 'dynamic' but failed to see he was so underwhelming he had almost put the interview panel to sleep during the meeting.

The same goes for saying you are 'detailed oriented' but misspelling words (or failing to run spell check) on the application letter.

Don't be like the bloke going for an IT job who did not know how to stop his phone from ringing during his interview.

The only exception may be the jobseeker who outlined to the hirer that they "never fail to disappoint".

Also, be prepared for the hirer to be annoyed with you if you call on Monday after a Friday interview to say you've won X-Lotto and don't need the job anymore.

Even high-flying corporates have lied on their resume, outlining qualifications or experience that they do not hold in order to get the job.

Former chief executive of Yahoo Scott Thompson, Myer executive Andrew Flanagan, and more recently, senior SA Government executive Veronica Theriault have all been ousted from their jobs for not telling the truth.

Thompson had an online bio stating he had a college degree he did not actually hold.

Flanagan was claimed to have worked for companies where he had not held a job.

Theriault is claimed to have posed as one of her own references under an alias.

While it initially worked for them, their lies were found out, leading to a reputation-damaging dismissal.

"You must remember that expert screeners will immediately spot when something doesn't add up," recruiters Hays advises.

"A lie here or there could see your chances reduced from shortlist to dust bin in a moment.

"Even if you made it to the shortlist, you'll be left floundering in a job interview."

However, also think about the ramifications of not keeping your online resume — for example, your LinkedIn profile — up to date.

If your job application highlights a qualification you recently obtained or a job you have held but the same is not reflected on your online professional profile — or vice versa — it could raise a red flag for a recruiter.

Just don't go too far — updating your referees to point out one of them is 'deceased', as one jobseeker did, does not help the hirer to gain the reference they need.

However, being too upfront about such things as hobbies also has its pitfalls.

"I don't mind people adding them to their resumes but being open can be a bit too much and take the focus away from the application," one recruiter says.

"This applicant's hobbies included, tattoos, tattooing people, watching — and filming — pornography."