The small talk you make with your interviewer can be tricky to get right.
On the one hand, research suggests that building rapport with your interviewers before getting into the nitty-gritty details of the job can give you an edge over other candidates.
But on the other, it's so easy to flub and start the interview off on an awkward note.
"The secret is to have one to two good open-ended questions that require the person to talk — it lets you show you are a good listener," says J.T. O'Donnell, the founder of the career-advice site Careerealism.com and the author of "Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career."
What you shouldn't do is open with anything controversial, highly personal, or clumsy, Amanda Augustine, an expert in career advice for TopResume, tells Business Insider.
"Stick to safer topics that will help your candidacy, while confidently and comfortably breaking the ice at the beginning of your interview," she suggests.
Here are 15 terrible conversation starters you should steer clear of in your next job interview:
SEE ALSO: 9 brilliant conversation starters to use in a job interview
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'Hey, what's up?'
"While I'm not promoting a formal, 'How do you do?'-style greeting, you might consider stepping it up a bit when you're introducing yourself to the person who will be determining whether you get the job or not," says Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette and civility expert and the author of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom."
'The craziest thing happened while I was waiting for my morning coffee!'
Seer clear of talking too much about yourself, O'Donnell warns.
You may feel a need to fill the silence by telling your interviewer about every little funny detail about your day, but this may make you seem like too much of a talker.
"The rule of thumb is, whatever a candidate does in a interview, multiply it by 10 and that's what they'll be like at work," O'Donnell says. "So, overtalking can be a real interview killer."
'Can you believe what's going on in our country right now?'
"Unless you're interviewing for a company that's involved in politics, it's best to stay as far away as possible from this topic during your interview," Augustine says. "As a rule of thumb, avoid discussing politics, religion, and any other highly charged, controversial topics that can easily turn into heated debates."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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