This article originally appeared on Business Insider.
I’ve been a recruiter for almost 10 years and a hiring manager for even longer, working in education, nonprofit, and technology.
When I interview a hiring manager as a candidate, my advice is always to be very discerning about what you share. As in any other conversation, you need to consider what matters to the person you’re talking to when considering what information will be most relevant or compelling to them.
There are some things you should never say. Here are three things I would never mention in an interview:
1. Challenges in previous jobs or job searches
In an interview, the hiring manager is looking for someone who gives them confidence that they can deliver great results for the company. Some things I’ve heard job seekers share before, like challenges at previous workplaces or how tough the market is, can distract the hiring manager from seeing them as the strongest candidate.
It might even make them think the candidate is the problem.
They might ask:
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Is this candidate struggling to find a job due to the market or are other companies noticing something concerning?
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Was their previous manager really difficult to work with or are they the difficult ones?
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Was the culture truly toxic or high pressure, or were they low performers?
There is no reason to mention firing or quitting under negative circumstances. Instead of sharing what went wrong in the past, focus on what excites you about the future. Here are some things you can say instead:
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“I’m waiting for the right opportunity, and I really see that with this role, especially because I’ve planned over 30 virtual events in the last few years, and I really see this playing to my strengths.”
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“I am really looking forward to working under a manager I can learn from – looking at some of the initiatives you have brought here, I know I can add value and continue to improve my role under your leadership.”
- “One of the things that struck me reading reviews about working here is the trust and autonomy. I’ve worked in some more rigid environments – I think this will really allow me to bring my creativity and strategic thinking skills to the my role.”
2. Upcoming parental leaves, medical needs, scheduled vacations, etc.
Employers are not legally allowed to discriminate against job seekers who are pregnant or who may need accommodation, but it is very difficult to prove that these are the reasons why a job seeker was not hired being considered for a role. Employers may not even realize they are doing this due to implicit bias.
They are not allowed to ask and you are also under no obligation to reveal this information during the interview process.
If you bring up one of these topics in your first conversation and you’re one of five strong candidates, they might just decide to move on with the other people. At that point, they still haven’t invested enough in you to discuss potential accommodations.
When you talk about parental leave, accommodation needs or holiday plans later in the process, for example at the offer stage, the hiring team will be really excited about you and may be more keen to understand how to find accommodation according need. You’ve shown them that you can have a bigger impact than any other candidate, so now they’re more likely to be motivated to find a solution that works for everyone.
3. Being overly enthusiastic about the compensation, benefits, and perks rather than the work and the opportunity for impact
Companies that offer high compensation and benefits do so because they want to attract great talent. Even so, they want to hire people who are passionate about the work and can move the needle. Your job isn’t to convince them that they are a great employer; it’s convincing them that you can achieve great results.
Focus on what you can give rather than what you can get.
Why do you want this job? Talk about why you want the actual position and the company’s product or service, not that the great compensation piqued your interest.
What makes you perfect for the role? Highlight the skills you bring that will make you a great fit and how they will translate into impact, not that you prefer working remotely.
What excites you most about this opportunity? Discuss a specific initiative or workflow that excites you, not that you really want a more flexible culture.
In a competitive job market, employers have many amazing talents to choose from. They want to hire low-risk, high-reward people. The more you can do to show the impact you can have and minimize concerns about your ability to contribute, the better your chances of getting hired.
Bonnie Dilber is the head of the corporate recruiting team at Zapier. Before turning to technology, you spent years in education and nonprofits as a teacher, program manager, and recruiting manager.