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Now, there are absolutely times at the end of a job interview when you’ll need clarification on pressing matters that could directly impact your ability to proceed with taking a new job. But there are also plenty of questions that will only put you at a disadvantage when you’re being evaluated and weighted as a potential prospect for a new team. 

Redditors went ahead and shared some of the questions that are simply crucial to avoid at the end of your next job interview. 

“Can I Please Have My Resumé Back? It’s My Only Copy.”

A job applicant shaking the hands of an interviewer.
filadendron/istockphoto

If you couldn’t already guess, Redditors certainly weighed in with their own healthy measures of intentionally humorous, not entirely serious responses. Obviously, in this day and age it’s more common to email your resumé when the time calls for it. With that being said, this kind of question might at the very least get a chuckle out of whoever is interviewing you. 

“So, Can I Get a Ride Home?”

A job applicant being interviewed.
Wasan Tita/istockphoto

Oh boy, this question inspired a brilliant story time comment from a Redditor who has since deleted their username. However, the story goes:

“I was interviewing a person for tier 1 help desk 12 years ago. The guy was a few minutes late no biggie. He had just about every certification under the sun and he brought proof. He was wicked smart. But he didn’t have a car and was taking the bus, however the job required you to have a car as we had multiple locations. After I interviewed him I talked to my boss and she didn’t want to hire him but it was ultimately up to me. I thought it over and I hired the guy, best employee I ever had. I picked him up and dropped him off and let him use my car to go offsite for about a month and then he bought a cheap car. He was 20 years old and was poor and just needed someone to give him a chance, so I did. He is awesome and is now a tier 3 tech and owns his own house and is married.”

These are the tales you love to see. Wholesome and inspiring all around.

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“Will I Be Able To Meet Players From The Professional Sports Team?”

A job applicant being interviewed.
AzmanL/istockphoto

Redditor u/wolf_man007 hits the nail on the head with why such a question is inadvisable, to say the very least. 

“If you’re interviewing for a front office position with a sports franchise, do not ask if you’ll get to meet the players. This is a huge red flag and makes you look like your goal is not the job, but the bragging rights and name dropping.”

Related: These Companies Are Offering Free Tuition and Other Perks to Lure Reluctant Workers

“Can I Get An Advance On My First Paycheck?”

A female job applicant being interviewed while the interviewer reviews her resume.
SDI Productions/istockphoto

While there will certainly be angelically understanding employers out there that may just find a way to meet such a question with something in between a yes and a no, in general, this isn’t advisable. You’ve got to build that trust up first, and maybe, just maybe even consider never asking for an advance on a paycheck. 

Related: 15 Most Satisfying Jobs That Also Pay Well

“How Soon Can I Go On Vacation?”

A job interviewer reviewing a printed out resume with their pen.
rudi_suardi/istockphoto

There’s absolutely tremendous value in showing a new employer that you’re excited and hungry for succeeding in your new job opportunity. Thus, kicking your career chapter off with a new employer by asking about when you can dock off for your first vacation, isn’t necessarily the best idea. Patience is a true virtue when it comes to taking your first vacation. 

Related: What Is Unlimited PTO – and Is It Too Good To Be True?

“Will I Be Able To Leave Early When The Time Changes And It Gets Dark Out Earlier?”

A job applicant reviewing their resume with their laptop opened up.
ridvan_celik/istockphoto

So many jobs have shifted to either hybrid or full-time remote setups, so it would seem that this question should be less common. Of course, there are career fields where this isn’t going to be the case. Still, a bold question to ask at the end of a job interview, and certainly one that could raise a red flag for a potential employer. 

Related: No Experience? No Problem With These Work-From-Home Jobs

Meet the Writer

Matt has spent the last 8 or so odd years as both a writer and editor in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally rabid, pigeons. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a book and/or some friends, or just easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.