CEO says there is one major 'red flag' people show in job interviews that can ruin it in minutes

A CEO has said there is one major red flag people often exhibit in interviews.

Who's guilty of this, then?

A CEO has said there is one major red flag people often exhibit in interviews (Getty Stock Photo)

William Vanderbloemen, the CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group has spoken out about one of the biggest red flags people make during the interview process - and we can see why this would be *very* annoying for a hiring manager.

Now, everyone knows being late for an interview is an absolute no-no. In fact, for some companies, this would probably be a deal breaker, unless there was a very legit reason.

But there's being late for an interview and then there's *this*.

“It always amazes me how many people arrive even two minutes late for an interview with a fresh cup of coffee in their hand,” Vanderbloeman told CNBC.

Don't be late, but don't be too early either (Getty Stock Photo)

Vanderbloeman has interviewed over 30,000 candidates in his career and he says that turning up late without giving prior notice generally sets a poor tone.

“Punctuality is the first test of whether or not you’re taking this job seriously and can be trusted with the responsibilities of the role,” he added.

“When you set a meeting with someone, you’re making an agreement, and when you choose to break that agreement, it’s going to make people start to question your integrity and dependability."

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However, while being late is an obvious red flag, the CEO doesn't particularly like it when candidates are too early either.

He explained that if a candidate arrives 20 minutes early, for example, it can be quite uncomfortable.

“If I’m in the middle of another meeting, or taking a break between calls, it’s not helpful to have someone waiting on me for 15-20 minutes before our scheduled call,” he said.

“It can make the interviewer feel uncomfortable or frazzled.”

If you're going to be late, don't turn up with a coffee (Getty Stock Photo)

Vanderbloeman said the best time to turn up is five minutes prior.

“Job interviews can be stressful, but acing it becomes a lot easier when you show up prepared. Being punctual is the first step in proving your readiness," he explained.

Earlier this year, we told you how one recruiter shared the five questions 'everyone should be ready to answer' in a job interview.

Bryan Creely gives career advice on YouTube via A Life After Layoff and encourages job seekers to ‘learn the concept of storytelling’ as he says hiring managers ‘like people who tell stories’.

He explains that 'tell me about yourself' is one question that's guaranteed to be asked.

Meanwhile, 'why do you want to work here?' 'what's your greatest weakness/strength?' and 'what's your greatest accomplishment?' are also likely to be included.

Creely also says that every candidate should be ready for the 'salary expectation' question, too.