Interviews shouldn’t create nerves or gaffes. This is the one opportunity to talk about yourself for one whole hour. How often are you invited to chat about yourself for one long wonderful hour?

But sometimes even the most experienced executives trip up.  Following are five gaffes to avoid when creating an impression.

Taking a call in the interview  

Yes, some candidates think it’s acceptable to take calls.

A candidate hushed a fellow Search Partner with a waving hand while taking a 5 minute call during an interview. When the candidate finished his call, the Partner suggested that he was concerned to put the candidate forward if that’s how the candidate behaved with the client. The candidate responded: “I wouldn’t do that to them; you’re just the recruiter.”

Whether it’s taking a call or another facet, present yourself to the interviewer with the same respect that you would to a client. It sends a clear message on how you value people.

Excessive airtime on why your previous employer was unfair

Retrenchments and divorce happen. We understand. Life’s not always fair.

You have 1 hour to tell the interviewer why you have the capability for the role being discussed. Use it wisely.

My colleague met a hardworking, very committed CEO who had painfully parted ways with his previous Chair.  We empathise. Culture fit and strategic fit is important.

But the CEO spent 45 minutes drilling through the pain and complaining about the former Chair and board politics. My colleague had his doubts but tested the CEO’s name with his client. The client cringed: she had met the CEO at a dinner a few months earlier and he had similarly spent the night complaining about his Chair and Board.  She lamented that the CEO was just too negative; probably a nice guy but not mature enough for her ASXlisted role.

Be honest about partings; learn from your experience but don’t use the hour as therapy.

Talking too long

The only one question that you can go slightly overtime on is the general “tell me about yourself and overview your career.” Maybe that’s 10 minutes. 15 minutes at a stretch.  But if you are still going after 30 minutes on the first question and the interviewer cannot stop you, that’s a problem.

The number one skill executives need is efficient and effective communication. Highlight the important things, give one example, and allow the interviewer to ask either a follow-up question or to move to another question.

Misrepresenting academic qualifications or other material information

During our academic reference checks, we found that a candidate did not have the degree listed on his CV and touched on during the interview. The candidate said he forgot to be specific he did not finish the degree.

The client, rightfully, stated that he was trusting the candidate with millions of dollars; if someone could not be truthful on the little things, how could they trust him on the big things?  He missed noticing that degree on his CV for the last 20 years?

Had the candidate been candid upfront, it probably would not have been an issue; he was otherwise a superb candidate. 

Represent yourself fairly. Employers and Search Firms will do relevant reference checks.

Not being transparent on interviews for other roles

If you are talking to a Search Firm about a role, the chances are high that you are also considering other roles. Be transparent about the stage you are at with other interviews.

The Search firm will not remove you from a process simply because you are interviewing with other companies; we understand this. However, there is no greater distress for the Search Partner than to have to call his client, after they presented you with a contract, and after investing months in the process, with the news that you, the preferred candidate, has just accepted a role with another firm. You will damage your relationship with the Executive Search firm and the client.

Be transparent if you are in another interview process, the stage that you are at, and keep the Search Firm updated on major milestones.

Not being perfect, or having your mind go blank for a moment during an interview is ok; we are all sometimes nervous. If the relationship with the Executive Search Firm is important to you, spend a few minutes thinking about the interview, your skills and passions, especially if you have not interviewed for a while.  Build a positive relationship and it will serve you well, not just for this interview but for future opportunities.