"The best solution to minimize pre-interview anxiety is solid preparation," said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder. "If you don't read about the company and research your role thoroughly, you could magnify your fear of interviewing poorly and lose the opportunity.”
CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,600 hiring and human resource managers from Nov. 16 to Dec. 6, with 51% saying they know if a candidate makes the cut within five minutes of meeting. One candidate asked during the interview to be excused to call his wife to find out if the starting salary was good enough. Other candidates asked for the nearest bar, ate a pizza without offering to share and warned an interviewer if she wanted to go the heaven, she better hire him.
Among body language faux pas were not making eye contact (67); not smiling (39%); fidgeting in their seats (32%); and a weak handshake (22%).