The 10 strangest things candidates have done in job interviews

Half of bosses know within the first five minutes of an interview if a candidate is a good fit for a position.

But if you're not within that 50%, fret not.

With the way candidates are behaving today, it probably won't take long for you to figure out whether or not this is a job seeker from hell.

In a new survey from CareerBuilder, employers shared the most memorable job interview mistakes candidates have made and how body language can hinder their chances of moving forward in the interview process.

Some of the strangest things they remembered included screaming that the interview was taking too long, and singing responses to questions.

Check out the full list here:

• Candidate took a family photo off of interviewer’s desk and put it into her purse.
• Candidate started screaming that the interview was taking too long.
• Candidate said her main job was being a psychic/medium and tried to read interviewer’s palm, despite interviewer’s attempts to decline the offer.
• When asked what her ideal job was, candidate said "painter of birdhouses." (Company was hiring for a data entry clerk.)
• Candidate sang her responses to questions.
• Candidate put lotion on her feet during the interview.
• When asked why he wanted the position, candidate replied, “My wife wants me to get a job.”
• Candidate started feeling interviewer’s chest to find a heartbeat so they could “connect heart to heart.”
• Candidate had a pet bird in her shirt.
• Candidate took phone interview in the bathroom – and flushed.

“Preparing for an interview takes a lot more than Googling answers to common interview questions,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder.

“Candidates have to make a great first impression appearance-wise, have a solid understanding of the target company, know exactly how to convey that they’re the perfect fit for the job and control their body language.”

When asked to identify the biggest body language mistakes job seekers make, failing to make eye contact was the most popular trait (67%) identified by hiring managers.

This was followed by failing to smile (39%), and playing with something on the table (33%).

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