Hi Everybody! As you all know when it comes to job interviews, first impressions are EVERYTHING! You probably know not to be late or be rude to the receptionist. BUT..You also need to stay away from cliched answers that will hurt your chances of advancing to the next stage.

Here are some of what I've heard...

I'M AN OVERACHIEVER - I'm a big believer in people that mean what they say and say what they mean. So if I'm interviewing you and you tell me this, I would really think that you're an underachiever or a decent worker but not a superstar. Why? Well when you label yourself an overachiever you are telling me that people underestimated you. That leaves me the question - why did they believe that you were limited in your abilities?

I GIVE 150% - I can only give 100%, I can't give 150% as there is not one and a half of me to give. So if you say something like this, it makes you sound insincere and you'll probably end up over-promising and under delivering. This is not something hiring managers want.

I REALLY LOVE THIS COMPANY - Hiring managers already know you're interested, so no need to state the obvious BUT you should know as much as you can about the company without actually working there. Reach out to current employees - pick their brain. You need to understand what you can bring to the company and how it ties into their mission and objective.

I'M HARD WORKING, I'M A TEAM PLAYER, AND I'M COMMITTED - This sounds like a great answer and you might think this is exactly what hiring managers want to hear. It's not. I want to hear - I will outwork and outproduce anyone else on this team, I will take on extra education to grow faster than my peers. I will put in my time beyond standard business hours if and necessary to achieve goals and to cross-train in skills that other people have.

But most people won't say those things because most people aren't willing to execute them later on. Hiring managers aren't looking for people who want to work a million hours. They want people to be honest and for people to articulate what they bring to the table and then deliver on it. So always tell the truth.

I'M EXTREMELY DETAIL ORIENTED - Hiring Managers will want to see concrete evidence if this is a true statement. You better know the details of your job and your team. What happened last month, last quarter, and last year? This also include no typos in your resume.

I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A PLACE I CAN LEARN AND GROW - Okaaaay - now tell me what's in it for me? What are you going to contribute? Companies make money by growing revenue or cutting expenses. What are you going to do to move the company in the direction they want and how? When you're interviewing for a role, you should always focus on the company and what the company can gain by employing you. Not the other way around.

Remember during an interview, you're there to convince the company that you're the best solution to their problem, that you're the best person to fill their vacancy. Focus on that and you'll be surprised how far you can go!

NOW GO AND GET THAT DAMN JOB!!