Things you better not ask

during a job interview

When I still worked for TV, I recall a job interview I once held with a colleague where he sent the interviewee home. The girl in question hadn’t seen any of the shows episodes which clearly showed she was all but the right fit for the job.

It seemed harsh at the time, but more power to my colleague because we did have better things we could be doing with our time rather than listening to someone who didn’t even have the decency to prepare themselves. And over the course of the last few years there are a few other intern no-no’s I’ve dealt with.

“how do i get there by public transport?”

An immediate sign that someone is extremely independent and decisive. A true go-getter who always knows how to find a solution for any problem. Not. Something really must have gone wrong if someone’s never heard of Google before. Next.

“What do you guys do?”

A question that was thrown at Liesbeth and our health editor Jet after an interview with a candidate who on the first hand seemed rather delightful. Well uh… We are editors on the site you are currently applying for. The faces of the website. You know: Amayzine, the company you really really want to work for.

“What will my internship fee be and what kind of contract will i be getting?”

Another question that I’ve received more often than I’d like by potential interns. Uh, darling. How about you do your trial assignment first? And if we’re pleased with the work, that’s when we get to talking about if we want to take you on as an intern and for what price.

“so i won’t have to get anyone coffee?”

The biggest pet peeve and worry of any intern: getting coffee. Because seriously, you wouldn’t even wish that upon your worst enemy… We always get coffee (or in our case tea) for everyone. So so should you. And to be honest, there’s no way of getting closer to anyone than when you get someone something to drink. Just remember that.