Are you high maintenance? Do your friends tease you about being a "diva"? Is one of your favorite phrases "enough about you, let's talk about me"? 

If you answered "no," check out the following behaviors, compiled from bad moves of dozens of real-life job-seekers, for ideas guaranteed to make a negative impression on employers. 

1.  Get More Information Before Applying 

Before you apply for a job, make sure you're not wasting your time going after a position that's beneath you. 

When you see an ad for a job that looks interesting, phone the employer and demand to speak with the person in charge of hiring. Once you have that person on the phone (if necessary, keep phoning until they agree to take your call), grill them about the job. 

Get answers to questions such as: "How much does it pay? How much vacation time will I get? How big will my office be?" and anything else that's important to you. 

Finish by insisting that they fax or email the job description to you. 

2. Create a Cover Letter That's All About You

Start your cover letter with a strong statement such as "This is the type of position I've been looking for." 

Then go on to explain what you want in a job. For example, "I am searching for a financially rewarding position where I can gain experience and pursue my interests." Add that you see this job as a stepping-stone to something better. 

Even if they haven't asked for salary expectations, tell them the minimum amount they'll need to pay you "with benefits." 

Better yet, don't waste your valuable time writing a cover letter when anyone can see from your resume how lucky they would be to have you.

3.  Show Them Who's Boss During the Interview

Arrive late so you can avoid sitting around waiting for the interviewer. 

During the interview ask intelligent questions like "What does this company do?" When the interviewer describes what they do, respond: "Hiring me will help you people achieve some real success." 

Explain how nothing they have been doing until this point has been particularly effective, which is why you'd never heard of them before you saw the ad for the job. 

If asked what you could do for them, answer with vague generalizations. 

Interrupt the interviewer repeatedly. If they try to say something while you're making a point, ignore them and keep talking loudly because it really isn't important what they say; what is important is that you get your point across. 

Keep your cell phone on in case someone calls you during the interview with a better offer. 

4.  Follow-Up Repeatedly After the Interview 

After the interview contact the interviewer and say you want feedback about how you did so they can reassure you that you did a great job. 

If the interviewer is reluctant to talk, pressure them to give you information. Contact them repeatedly if necessary. This information could be helpful to you in future job searches. 

Plus, if you don't like what the interviewer has to say, you can argue that their assessment of you is wrong. If you argue strongly enough, maybe you can convince them to hire you. 

If an interviewer says they have given the job to someone else, insist they tell you why they chose that person instead of you. Then demand to speak to the company president to try to convince him to veto the interviewer's decision and give you the job.

5.  Keep Communicating Until They Get a Restraining Order

Phone and email repeatedly for any reason, including: 

• to find out more about the job
• to ask for help filling out their online application form
• to ask if they received your application
• to ask what to wear to the interview
• to ask for feedback after the interview
• to find out if they received the thank you notes you sent
• to find out when they'll be making a decision
• to demand an explanation for why they didn't hire you
• etc. 

If you don't get the first job you apply for, apply for every other job that opens up in the company that might be remotely related to anything you have ever had an interest in. 

In all your communications with the employer, talk at length about yourself and how you feel.

Of course these tactics will make an impression on an employer, but not the kind you want to make!  Explore FabJob.com for advice on how to make a positive impression on prospective employers.

Tag and Catherine Goulet are authors of Dream Careers and founders of FabJob Inc. Visit www.FabJob.com to discover how to break into the career of your dreams. 
 

Sisters Tag and Catherine Goulet are the Dream Career Experts. In 1999 they founded FabJob.com, a publisher of guides on how to break into a dream career, which has been visited by 50 million people. They have been featured giving career advice in media from ABC to Oprah.com and Woman's Day to the Wall Street Journal online, and their career advice appears frequently on the career pages at MSN.com and AOL.com. They are authors of the book Dream Careers: How to Quickly Break into a Fab Job! Visit www.FabJob.com to discover how to break into a dream career.