You've heard it said often in the past: "First impressions are the most important." When it comes to the job interview, here's recent proof that bears this out: "Hiring managers often know whether they might hire someone soon after the opening handshake and small talk", a new survey suggests.

Job seekers – to put it mildly – don't like interviews very much. Aside from having to dress up and worry about the firmness of their handshakes, applicants have to field question after question. No matter how much they fear unexpected trick questions, job candidates dread the most common ones above all others.

When you have an interview to prepare for, you probably spend a lot of time planning what to say and what to wear. But do you ever spend any time practicing how you will sound?

Hiring managers everywhere look for certain red flags on an application, in responses given during the initial telephone interview, and on site interviews to potentially screen out a candidate in the early stages of the hiring process.To be certain that you will get past the initial screen, be aware of the following common candidate red flags:

Performing well during the job interview is one of the most important steps in the hiring process. Every candidate wants to impress a prospective employer, but, despite their best efforts, not all do. Often, a simple mistake can cause an applicant to blow the entire meeting. Here are some errors to avoid: