It is almost a sure bet that you, as a job seeker, receive many tips from eager-to-help friends and family as well as career information web sites about what you should remember to do during an interview. There are so many things to remember, often times it is overwhelming. If you feel as though your list is growing to an unmanageable length, then it's probably easier for you to consider those things that you absolutely should not do during an interview.

This article will serve to provide you with a list of the ten things that you should always avoid in any interview situation. If you follow these ten rules of thumb, then you will probably find yourself a lot better served than if following a list of the things you should do.

Showing Up Late-Do not, under any circumstance show up late for an interview. Even if you think you know how long it will take with drive time, go one hour earlier to avoid being late. There are always things that you can do if you are earlier than your appointment time, such as explore the area close to the work site, catch prospective fellow employees so that you can discuss with them their experience in working with the company, or even just sit and read a magazine until it is time. Showing up earlier is not only a sign to the prospective employer/interviewer that you respect his/her time, but also that you take the interview seriously. The biggest mistake you can make is being late.

Inability to Remember Interviewer's Name-Showing up for an interview and either forgetting or not knowing how to properly pronounce the interviewer's name is a huge faux pas that is sure to be noticed. When you are invited for the interview, ask the question about who will be conducting it up-front and write down his or her name to take with you. Once you are introduced, then make a mental note of his or her name by repeating it back to him or her, such as, "Nice to meet you, Jane Day." Then make a mental note of it by also repeating it back to yourself. A sure fire way to remember names are through word association. So, if her name is Jane Day, think of words that you can easily remember and associate such as "just dandy." Just be sure you can keep them straight and you don't call her "Just Dandy."

Interviewing Without Performing Research-You are expected to perform necessary research before the interview. Don't show up without having full knowledge of company details, including industry and services/products. This also includes having a full understanding of what your role would be if extended an offer from the company. If you believe this is unreasonable, then you should be doing more research and asking questions before you get to the interview stage. Also, pay attention to your interviewer's role. Often times, it is the prospective manager, which can help you to plan effectively to ask related questions, such as management style and team dynamic.

Communication-Communication is crucial, especially during an interview, but you never want to: 1) talk too little or 2) talk too much. To do this effectively, you should stick to the elevator rule and asking follow-up questions. When asked a question, give as much detail as you can in about 15-20 seconds and stick to the point without diversion. You want to be able to recite the "elevator sale" with each answer. This simply means that if you were in the elevator with your interviewer for the length of time it took to get from the top floor to the bottom, recite what you would say to sell yourself effectively. Once that time is up, you should have been able to answer the question without rambling. Then, you ask the follow-up question, "Did that fully answer your question?" Your interviewer will tell you if he/she requires more information or elaboration on one of your points. Bottom line is that you want provide enough detail for each answer, without taking up so much time that the interviewer stops listening. Also, giving the interviewer the floor for a while will provide you the opportunity to show off another soft skill-listening. Ask insightful questions such as: "How would you describe the corporate culture?" These questions show interest and thought, are direct to-the-point, and show that you don't have to be talking all the time.

Losing Eye Contact-When you lose eye contact during an interview, you show: 1) an uneasiness with the conversation, or 2) disinterest in what the other person is saying. Do your best not to lose eye contact if you are serious about getting the position.

Turning a Weakness Into a Strength-Even if you think it is endearing to say something such as, "I am such a hard worker that I often get irritated at interruptions," this interviewer does not want to hear this. Make sure you keep your weaknesses just that, but focus on what you're doing to correct them rather than acting like you're perfect. An interviewer might ask, "What would you say is your greatest weakness?" To that, you can respond, "I have a hard time being interrupted. However, I am working on that by trying to openly communicate with coworkers about my work style and by taking time to socialize at appropriate times so that I don't ostracize myself from the group."

Dishonesty-Being dishonest (even a little) can hurt you. Always assume fact checking is occurring and act accordingly.

Assuming You've Landed the Job-Don't ask questions about benefits and perks before being offered the position. This tells the interviewer you assume you have the job. Always phrase questions or answers as, "If I were offered this position..." as opposed to, "I am going to..."

Asking if You Got It-Don't ask whether or not you got the position. This shows impatience-a quality that could get your application discarded.

Neglecting the Follow-up-Personal notes don't seem to be common practice any more, but that is why you should always write one as a thank you to the interviewer for his or her time. Believe it or not, when it comes down to two almost identical candidates, the effort and additional communication from the "note writer" might be the one who gets the offer.

Orrick Nepomuceno, CPC is author of Hitchhiker In The Corner Office: Avoiding The Top-10 Potholes So Your Employees Don't Hit The Road. He manages his own consulting practice - http://www.kaonconsultinginc.com - where he consults C-Level executives with Human Capital issues. Orrick understands the importance of helping companies build great teams in today's changing marketplace.

Visit http://blog.hitchhikerinthecorneroffice.com for his blog or
http://www.hitchhikerinthecorneroffice.com for more information about the book.