Job interviews have an interesting way of becoming something much more than they ought to. Why do I say that? Well when you think of it, what’s the purpose of an interview? To meet and get to know the candidate that you’re potentially going to hire, right? But more often than not job interviews turn into sessions of battling wits, situations where candidates are needlessly tested and sometimes are even plain dull and boring. And if you ask me, it’s mainly because we’re forgetting what the actual purpose of a job interview is.

So what shouldn’t job interviews be like? Here are some situations to avoid.

1. Ego Battles

Contrary to what some people practice (though they’ll never admit it), job interviews aren’t a place for you to inflate your egos. No one, neither the hiring manager nor the candidate, has to be better, smarter or more intelligent than the other. This isn’t a contest of who knows the job well or whose experience is more worthy. Though sadly sometimes, job interviews turn into situations where the candidate tries to make a point only to be told that they’re incorrect. Or sometimes the candidate feels they’re much more competent than the person who’s considering to hire them as their team member. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t end well.

2. Judging A Book By Its Cover

Ever walk into an interview room, glance at the candidate and decide “no, not going to hire you”. Or, you’re the candidate and as the interviewer walks in you’re thinking to yourself “I’m going to be interviewed by this person?” Again, I’m sure no one’s really going to admit it, but you know it has happened. Reaching such a conclusion ends the interview even before handshakes are exchanged. And it becomes a needless formality which honestly isn’t fair for the person who’s really trying at the interview.

3. Overconfidence

The biggest trap an interviewee can set for themselves is boasting or bragging about skills and knowledge that they don’t possess. It’s understandable that being unemployed can be frustrating, but exaggerating the facts and the truth about yourself can lead to much trouble in the future. It’s best to stick to the facts about yourself and your abilities. The same can be for interviewers (particularly the newer ones) where in your zealous state you come down hard on candidates. Job interviews aren’t the place for power trips, though sometimes they tend to become that. Remember job interviews are designed to get to know the person you’re hiring and not take advantage of their position.

Have you been in an awkward situation during a job interview? Do share them.

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