Recruiters and hiring managers sometimes brand a candidate as too eager. Little things like how quickly you respond to an email or how early you are available for an interview all contribute to this feeling. The undercurrent of the a “candidate is too eager” is that if this person is so available and eager maybe she/he is not in demand and desperate for a job.
So, as a candidate, it is important to sound enthusiastic but not desperate.

Of course, we cannot dismiss this pet peeve as in reality, an error-filled resume does reflect poorly on a candidate’s attention to detail and command of the language which may be important to the on-the-job performance. Every job applicant should pay real attention to grammatical matters.
A tool like Grammarly or a once-over by a friend might help in this regard. If you are not a native speaker, and not comfortable with the idiom and phrasing of the dominant language, it is particularly important to seek help to remove one of the simple barriers to getting that dream job.

It is true that some job applicants dominate a conversation and often interrupt during an interview. It could be nerves or eager to tell all that you know. However, it is a bad idea not to pay attention to the conversational balance and let others finish their thought. Addressing this will require you to rehearse the interview with a spouse/friend/colleague to ensure that you are not jumpy and verbose.

Another thing about job candidates that is bothersome to recruiters and hiring managers is how some candidates sound generic, vague, and evade answering specifics. This could happen due to a few reasons, including nerves, not having command of the subject matter, and trying to be all things to all people.
Candidates should avoid the temptation that being high-level is a safe zone. Instead, if a hiring manager wants specifics, go as in-depth as the situation warrants and what the interviewer is trying to find out.

If you are a junior level analyst and claiming credit for Google’s trillion-dollar market capitalization, of course, it will sound incredulous and does not fly. While a candidate may not go so overboard as in the example, sometimes candidates claim credit for things that seem beyond the responsibility and accountability of the position they are holding.
So while you want to come across as an achiever and a person who can get things done, try to temper your enthusiasm and phrase your achievements in realistic terms and claim proper credit – not less and not too much more.

This pet peeve of hiring managers is a bit more pedestrian but important to note. For example, not bringing a hard copy of a resume rubs some recruiters and hiring managers the wrong way. You may say why can’t they print out copies from the electronic copy you sent as a part of your initial application. You’d be right but why get a negative score for something that a dollar and a five-minute stop at a copy shop can fix?

If you are actively in the job market, you may be reading a lot of job descriptions and not remember much of anything. That is completely understandable. But when you are talking to a specific company, spending 10-minutes reviewing the job description. This helps you not sound completely clueless about the very job you are aspiring to hold and also miss out on opportunities to relate your skills, competence, and experience to the actual line items in the job advertisement.

This is a clear No-No. Going late to a meeting is not polite and also shows a lack of respect to the interviewers. You should always be 15-minutes early for the appoint. Excuses like “bad traffic” or “I didn’t find parking” or “the address was confusing, and I couldn’t find the building” doesn’t cut it. Of course, if there is a massive accident with all-lane closure, that is not the same as everyday commute traffic.
Plan and account for things like traffic, parking, locating the building and the floor and other exigencies and show up early. That leaves you an opportunity to grab a coffee, brush up on the company and the role, and go in without the stress and anxiety of being late.

Making eye contact is a sign of confidence and shows that you have nothing to hide. It is important to make eye contact while talking to the interviewers. You may not do it intentionally but be aware whether you are doing it. A practice interview will help you figure out such things.
Be pleasant and be confident. Look in the eye while you talk, but don’t forget to blink?

Every interviewer wants to feel like you are eager to join the company. If you express no specific enthusiasm and are going through the motions with detachment, it may be held against you. So, learn a little bit about the company and talk about it. Or ask questions about the company, its culture, and other corporate events.