Survey reveals how not to get a job

Failure to appear interested in the job during an interview was the No. 1 mistake made by job seekers, a survey of hiring managers found. In a survey conducted for employment agency CareerBuilder by Harris Interactive, 62 percent of hiring managers said an apparent lack of interest was among the mistakes made during interviews by job candidates. "A lack of enthusiasm can leave the employer feeling less than enthusiastic about you as a candidate," CareerBuilder said in a news release Wednesday. The second most commonly mentioned mistake is, perhaps, related to that: Answering a cellphone during an interview. Sixty percent of hiring managers mentioned that as a reason candidates failed to get the job. When it comes to dressing for the interview, "It is better to err on the conservative," CareerBuilder said, as 60 percent of hiring managers said dressing inappropriately derailed job candidates. Almost as many -- 58 percent -- of hiring managers indicated being negative about a former or current employer ended a job candidate's chances of getting a job. Poor body language also figured in to the equation, hiring managers said. Poor eye contact, failing to smile, weak handshakes and poor posture can deep-six a job candidate's chances, CareerBuilder said. The survey was conducted in November and involved interviews with 2,600 hiring managers nationwide. With 95 percent certainty, the results of the survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.92 percentage points, Harris Interactive said. The survey also revealed some classic gaffes made during interviews, including a job candidate who called his wife during the interview to see what was for dinner and a candidate who asked that the starting date of a job be delayed so she could receive holiday gifts from vendors at her current job. One candidate blew his chances by telling the interview he would do whatever it took to get the job, whether it was legal or not. Another mentioned he had to quit his job at a bank because of the temptation to steal. Another called a current employer during an interview and faked being sick, CareerBuilder said.