With the job market being extremely sparse right now, even the small things count, especially when going for a job interview. It’s really important not to say or do the wrong things, since that first impression could end up being the last one.

With this in mind, here are The Seven Deadly Sins when being interviewed…

1. Lateness

Even if your car broke down or a train got cancelled, do everything you can to get to that job interview on time. Give yourself plenty of time to get there but if you arrive early, walk around the block a few times. Just ensure you are NOT late, at all! Aim to arrive around 5 minutes prior to the allocated start time.

2. Lack of Preparation

It seems simple, but countless numbers of people go to a job interview knowing very little about the company or who the interview is with. All it takes sometimes is a simple Google search to find out about the company and what they do.

A lack of preparation leaves people asking obvious questions, which tells the interviewer that they are too lazy to prepare, or just don’t care much about getting the job.

3. Asking About Salary, Benefits, Perks

The first interview with a company should not be about what the company can do for you, but what you can do for the company. Which means this interview isn’t the correct time to ask about the severance package, salary, holiday allowance or health plan. Instead you should be selling yourself: your skills, experience and why the company would be mad not to have you on board.

4. Focusing On Future Roles Instead Of The Job At Hand

The job interview is not the time or place to ask about advancement opportunities or how to work your way up the proverbial ladder. You need to be interested in the job you are actually interviewing for. Sure, a company wants to see that you are ambitious, but they also want assurances you are committed to the job you’re being interviewed for.

5. Turning The Weakness Question Into A Positive

To put it bluntly, interviewers are not idiots. So when they ask you about a weakness and you say you work too hard or you are too much of a perfectionist, chances are they are more likely to roll their eyes than be blown away. Instead, be honest and come up with a weakness that can be improved on and won’t ruin your chances of getting a job.

For instance, if you are interviewing for a project management position, it wouldn’t be wise to say you have poor organizational skills, but it’s ok to say you want to learn more shortcuts in Excel.

6. Lying!

A lot of people think its ok to tell white lies, exaggerate their skills/experience or lie about a firing in a job interview, but lying can be a sure-fire way to not get hired. Even if you get through the interview process with your half-truths, chances are you won’t be equipped to handle the job you were hired to do. Not to mention the more you lie the more likely you are to slip up.

7. Asking If There’s Any Reason You Shouldn’t Be Hired

A well-meaning career advisor may tell you to close an interview by probing if there is any reason you would not be hired. While that question can give you an idea of where you stand and give you an opportunity to address any concerns, there’s no guarantee the interviewer is going to tell the truth or has even processed the information enough to think about that.