Has anyone else noticed the copious mention lately in the media of people dropping the f-bomb during live broadcasts?  This poor guy thought he was just in rehearsal and ends up facing potential fines by the FCC.  Ouch!

The reason I am thinking about this very topic is that some of my clients have been asking me about it - a lot, from both sides.  An employer was curious if they were just being too stiff about applicants letting loose with foul language during interviews.  A jobseeker was wondering if his use of one of the dreaded four letter words could have cost him his dream job.

Here's the thing, I am no angel and folks who know me well have witnessed the occasional tirade of bad language that can come from this innocent looking mouth.  Buuuut, there is a time and place for everything and using cuss words during an interview is a big no-no.  Just. Don't. Do. It.

Employers - Yeah, you let a few swear words go once at a stressful meeting, but does that mean you should okay an applicant's swearing during an interview?  I say no.  Is this a zero tolerance policy?  That's up to you.  You could always use the "three strikes and you're out rule" or you could give a polite warning and see if they do it again.  Here's a question to ask yourself; if candidates are swearing up a storm during an interview, will they fit into your corporate culture?  Or even better yet, how will they behave in front of customers and clients?

Jobseekers - as I said, just don't do it.  Interviews are a time to show you have good judgment.  Using bad language is not good judgment even in the passion of the moment explaining your latest programming triumph.  And you know what?  Don't let employers get away with it either.  If they are swearing at you during your interview it could indicate an abusive environment that would not be a great place to work.

Swearing is such an odd thing.  Our culture tells us it's the wrong thing to do and we've got the government fining organizations for it every day.  At the same time, it's become an integral part of our society and, though Miss Manners won't agree with me, has it's place.  For me, that place is just not during a formal setting like an interview :)