Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
You’ve probably heard of the Seven Deadly Sins that are said to doom people. Now, job recruiters are naming the the seven deadly job interview mistakes that doom new graduates in a highly-competitive job market. We all make mistakes, but there’s one mistake none of us can afford to make, and that’s failing to ace a coveted job interview. Here are seven deadly job interview mistakes that can sabotage your future, no matter your generation, preventing you from landing the job of your dreams.
Gen Z has been severely judged by employers and older predecessors, and their reputation in the job market is rapidly declining. But sometimes the criticisms leveled against them are too harsh, unfair and one-sided. Underneath the surface, many experts insist there’s a young generation in need of support and direction to help prevent them from making deadly job interview mistakes.
Some experts notice that younger employees go quiet or totally check out during one-on-one job interviews. Some people have labeled the look the “Gen Z stare,” but research suggests it’s because 30% of Gen Z actually fear one-on-one chats with their managers.
The team at Kraftshala surveyed 30 people serving as recruiters, team leaders, hiring managers and CEOs across seven partner companies that hire. To pinpoint Gen Z’s biggest interview red flags that were costing them coveted jobs, the team asked recruiters questions like, “What signals a lack of preparedness or seriousness?” or “Are there any recurring traits or attitudes among Gen Z candidates that concern you?” and “What makes you decide not to move forward with an otherwise qualified candidate?”
The survey revealed that Gen Z has an over-reliance on AI-generated answers that feel scripted and lack depth and real-life examples, plus overly casual language — and other behaviors that signaled a lack of professionalism.
Kraftshala founder Varun Satia explains. “Gen Z has immense potential, but our recent survey highlighted some shocking mistakes that are sabotaging their careers, like relying too heavily on AI, giving shallow responses or coming across as too casual. To stand out, they need to show genuine preparation, depth and professionalism in interviews.” Satia shared more detail on the seven recurring red flags that signal Gen Zers are sabotaging their careers.
Several employers in the survey found that Gen Z job applicants were using AI to complete test exercises and on-the-spot assignments given during interviews. One employer reveals that they could hear an AI chatbot’s voice in the background uttering responses like “great question!” According to the team, “Discovering that a candidate used AI during the interview instantly indicates their incompetence to many employers and also raises worries that they’d put the company’s confidential information in an AI system.”
“No job interview rule states that a candidate should know anything and everything about the company they are applying to,” Satia says. “But, being well-researched and posing sincere questions about the company’s work can earn you brownie points with the hiring manager. At least five employers noted that multiple Gen Z candidates were largely clueless about the company.”
The team concludes that the most common complaint from every employer was that Gen Z is unable to talk about their skills and work experience in depth during interviews, despite having impressive resumes. “Over 10 employers stated they had to guide the candidate multiple times with follow-up questions to get them to talk about their skills or try to nudge them to answer the main questions,” Satia notes. “While this can be due to a lack of confidence, hiring managers sometimes write this as laziness and disinterest.”
Team Leaders claim that they are more than happy to be flexible for a valuable employee. However, Gen Z’s demands for flexible hours and even four-day work weeks during interviews raise red flags. “A senior HR exec revealed that a candidate openly stated that being 10 minutes late to work should be acceptable without being questioned by the management. This doesn’t seem like a huge deal at first glance, but it’s not wise to say this to a hiring manager.”
The team acknowledges that Gen Z’s use of slang is one of their defining traits. They don’t follow a strict corporate language. But the hiring team sees it as another indicator of un-professionalism. “While they want to see someone who brings fresh breath to the company’s work culture, using professional language during interviews proves, the applicant will be able to fit into their working environment. Some employers shockingly stated that a few Gen Z candidates even appeared for online interviews while still in bed.”
Honesty is the best policy, except when you take it too far in a job interview, Satia points out. “The HR doesn’t want you to lie about your skills, but they have revealed that some Gen Z candidates took too much time to talk about their social media, mental health and even family issues during the interview. This is naturally a huge red flag in employers’ eyes,” he states.
Satia describes how one hiring team lead pointed out that a candidate claimed he put “mental health above all else,” claiming he wouldn’t show up to work if he didn’t feel like it. “Mental health needs to be a part of corporate conversations.,” Satia says. “But the employer instantly deemed the candidate as ‘unreliable’ after hearing this.”
Most hiring managers claim they are most likely to hire a candidate who sends a thoughtful thank-you note/email to them after the interview. Satia says it’s a great opportunity to not just thank the interviewer for their time but to reiterate why you are a great fit for the job. It proves that you are truly interested in the job. Unfortunately, hiring teams point out that most Gen Z candidates fail to do this.
When you consider avoiding ahead of time the seven deadly job interview mistakes that job seekers commonly make, it can give you a leg up on landing your dream job in a highly-competitive job market.
