When you finally score an interview, it can feel like a huge deal. And to you, it is! It’s the first big step towards finally getting the job of your dreams. To recruiters, however, it’s all just a part of the daily grind. After all, professional recruiters often conduct hundreds, if not thousands, of interviews per year.
Now, that’s not to discourage you or suggest that recruiters don’t care about you. The point is, though, that they go through the interview process a lot more often than you do — so when you give what you think seems like a well thought-out, unique and interesting response, they may have already heard it a few times that week alone. If you truly want to stand out in their eyes, you need to avoid these cliché answers and dig deeper into what kind of information they’re really looking for.
But which interview responses are the worst offenders, and what should you say instead? We reached out to a number of recruiters, HR professionals, career coaches and other experts to hear their thoughts. These are the seven answers they advised job seekers avoid at all costs.
Situation #1
Q: Tell me about yourself.
A: Details of your family life, medical history or professional flaws.
Why it’s bad: “Avoid ANYTHING personal that will be held against you in the interview or if you are hired. There are topics such as health and family that the employer should not bring up (because it’s illegal.) You should avoid these things too. Also, don’t bring up your shortcomings. If you are invited to interview, the interviewers believe you can do the job. Be confident and believe in yourself,” says Devay Campbell, career coach at Career 2 Cents.
What to say instead: A narrative that outlines your work experience thus far, why it’s relevant to the current position, where you want it to take you and, if you have time left, a couple short details that shed light on who you are as a person, such as interests and hobbies.
Situation #2
Q: Tell me what you know about the company.
A: Very obvious details, like their industry, or avoiding a straight answer completely.
Why it’s bad: Failing to research the company that you’re applying to suggests to the interviewer that you either don’t truly take it seriously, are lazy or just don’t have common sense. “If [candidates] are unprepared to answer this question, the likelihood of them securing a position with a company shrinks dramatically,” says Dave Lopes, Director of Recruiting at Badger Maps. “Even fifteen minutes of browsing their website will prepare the candidate to answer this question adequately,” he says.
What to say instead: Describe things like the product/service the company provides, their target market and their business model, among other publicly available, business-critical information.
Situation #3
Q: What’s your greatest strength?
A: “I’m a team player.”
Why it’s bad: “[The] answer is too broad — no specifics about your unique qualities,” says Laura MacLeod, HR expert and consultant at From The Inside Out Project®. “Everyone should be a ‘team player’ — so what makes you special? Feels forced and inauthentic, [like you’re just] spouting a phrase you think HR wants to hear.”
What to say instead:“Be specific about how you collaborate with co-workers and connect with other departments to produce the best product [and] why you think it’s crucial to develop these connections and develop relationships. Give examples from previous work experience,” MacLeod advises.
Situation #4
Q: What’s your greatest weakness?
A: “I work too hard/I’m a perfectionist.”
Why it’s bad: “This answer comes from candidates who are trying to share something they perceive as a strength, cloaked as a weakness. Who wouldn’t want an employee whose biggest flaw is being too driven or striving for perfection?” says Mikaela Kiner of UniquelyHR. “The problem is that the candidates who provide this answer are unwilling to admit to their real areas of development. We all have them — I want to talk to people who know what theirs are, and are actively working to improve.”
What to say instead:“Candidates should be honest. By the time we’ve had a few jobs, I think each of us knows what we need to work on,” Kiner says. “Be ready to honestly share something you need to develop, how you know/who’s given you feedback and what you’re doing to get better. The ideal answer demonstrates a willingness to be self-aware, and also that you’re a continuous learner.”
Situation #5
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years?









