What Not to Say on a salon job interview

It may be true that, no matter how bad the employment outlook gets in other industries, a good hair stylist can always find a station at a salon. That doesn't mean that every salon owner will come begging at your door. To get hired were you want to get hired, you still have to impress the owner during a standard interview.

Salons are casual places, and you may fall into more of a chat than a formal interview. Don't let that comfort level catch you off guard, though. While you'll want to be as candid as possible, what people today call "transparent," you still don't want to give TMI, or too much information.

expert's advice

A recent careerbuilder.com interview with Linda Lopeke of SmartStart Virtual Mentoring Programs lists these personal topics as never-go-there subject matter:

• Lifestyle choices such as whom you live with or how much you party, politics, religion and plans for having children. These personal preferences may not be seem controversial to you, but even an innocent remark in these areas can offend the interviewer or might make a seemingly big deal out of a small part of your life.
• Name dropping. A little of this goes a long way. While it's okay to mention a couple of people in the community or some industry icons, don't overdo it. If you know someone who already works for the salon, you can mention the person but be careful about how much praise you heap upon him or her because you don't know how the owner perceives that employee. And of course, never say something negative about someone who works there.
• Health history. There's no need to mention your recent session with your therapist or your family's history of heart disease. This includes rehab.
• House and childcare problems. If you talk about needing to frequently attend an emergency at home, you're not likely to position yourself as an attractive candidate.
• Past job problems. No prospective supervisor wants to hear your "boss from hell" stories. You won't get a chance to test whether the interviewer will join that list.