Watch What Accidentally Pops Out of Your Mouth During Interviews

You worked really hard on your resume and your cover letter and you got the interview! You did your research and you know as much about the company as you can. Your qualifications are strong, you feel like you have a pretty good shot at this job. Everything is going swimmingly. Even so you may still be nervous going into the interview, and being nervous might lead you to say some things you really should not have said.

Before you find yourself in an interview, trying desperately to get your foot out of your mouth, here are a few topics you should simply avoid talking about altogether.

Negative talk about your previous position

You might have left your previous job on great terms. Maybe there were conflicts that made you feel like you had to get out. Either way, only talk about the positives in your previous job. Talk about what you learned, and how you grew. Never bad mouth your previous employer or working situation, because even if what you’re saying is true, that kind of talk will only put you in a negative light.

Jokes about gender or race

You might feel like people of a specific gender or race have an unfair advantage in the workplace. Or maybe you feel so strongly about equality you feel comfortable making jokes about inequality.  In all cases, keep your thoughts about gender or race out of your discussions. I’m so glad this is an equal opportunity employer. I’m so sick of being disqualified because of some quota kind of talk will automatically lead to your disqualification.

Anything to do with religion or politics

Whatever your opinion about Donald Trump or the second coming there is absolutely no place for any mention of anything to do with religion or politics during a job interview. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Talk about yours with friends and associates in social settings.

Overly personal topics

Of course you want the interviewer to get to know you a little so it’s great to let your personality shine through. However there are details about your personal life that you can share with everyone and others that are best limited to your friend group. Like the wild partying you did over the weekend or that fact that you may not be entirely at your best because you decided to catch up on the latest season of your favorite show in all night binge the night before.