By Kimberly MacMillan, Business2Community | June 24, 2015

A legal recruiter calls you to set up an in-person interview. Your hard work creating a perfectly formatted resume and cover letter paid off! As the meeting date approaches, it’s important to prepare as the job interview can come with its own share of potential stumbling blocks. Here are three simple lousy interview habits you should drop right now!

Money, Money Money!

Don’t ruin your “first date” with your legal recruiter by talking about salary and benefits too quickly. Like dating, job interviews have their own ebb and flow and timing is important. Legal recruiters will send you to interviews with potential law firms and the same rule applies. When overly confident applicants ask hiring managers about raises and benefits, the result is always a failed interview, no matter how great the candidate was.

Don’t Be a Debbie Downer

Did you know the term Debbie Downer originated on Saturday Night Live in 2004? The character frequently added bad news and negative feelings to meetings, thus bringing down the mood of everyone around them. Don’t be a Debbie Downer during job interviews. In other words, don’t speak negatively about your current position as the hiring manager might think you’ll do the same thing to them down the line. Be positive, outgoing and smile often. When asked about your current job, keep your comments considerate and professional.

Don’t Be a Fibber

You should never lie during a job interview. No matter how difficult the question is, or how embarrassing the answer is, lying is never an option. Your resume shouldn’t be misleading either. Candidates sometimes lie about gaps in their employment history. Instead, be prepared to explain what you did during this time. Furthermore, if you don’t know the answer to a question simply state that. Your credibility can be damaged if your interviewer catches you in a lie.

You’ll want to put your best foot forward when meeting with your legal recruiter, however, some candidates end up putting their feet in their mouths instead, they do this by prematurely asking about money, being a Debbie Downer or lying during their interview. Even though you may feel a close friendship with your recruiter, it is essential to maintain your professionalism at all times.

This article was written by Kimberly MacMillan from Business2Community and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.