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Do's and
Don'ts for Job Interviews
Marie G.
McIntyre, Ph.D.
(All material on
yourofficecoach.com is copyrighted to Marie G. McIntyre. All rights
reserved.)
Here are
six surefire ways to make a BAD impression in an interview:
1.
Show up late.
Unless you were run over by a bus on your way to the interview, there is
no acceptable reason for arriving late. Tardiness sends the clear
signal that you are either a) incapable of planning, b) inconsiderate of
others, or c) not very interested in the job. So allow yourself extra
time to get there, but if you arrive early, don’t go into the office!
Being early is almost as bad as being late, because you will mess up the
interviewer’s schedule either way. Sit in your car until the appointed
time – or if the weather is too hot or cold, find a nearby McDonald’s.
Another tip: if you don’t know where your prospective employer is
located, do a dry run and find their offices before the day of your
interview, especially if you live in a large city.
2.
Wear odd clothing.
Keep in mind that one person’s “interesting and unique” can be another
person’s “weird and inappropriate”. Unless you’re applying for a
position at a clown college, you don’t want your attire to be too
memorable. Remember that the way that you dress for an interview says a
lot about your common sense and judgment.
3.
Wear cologne.
A scent you find pleasing can be repellant to someone else. The
interviewer will be trapped with you in a room for an hour, so it’s much
safer to wear no cologne at all. Otherwise, your interview may be cut
short just so the interviewer can escape the smell.
4.
Talk non-stop.
An interview should be a dialogue, not a monologue. If you are one of
those people who has trouble putting the brakes on your mouth, then you
need to learn how to stop talking. The interviewer needs time to ask
all of his or her questions, so when you have given a complete answer,
just stop.
5.
Bad-mouth your previous employer.
You don’t want to say anything in an interview that would make you seem
like a risky hire. If you complain about management or the
organizational culture, then the interviewer may conclude that you are a
negative person who could be a problem. So even if your previous boss
was an idiot and your company was a wreck, don’t say so!
6.
Ask too many self-serving questions.
If you ask too many questions about pay, benefits, and promotional
opportunities, you will give the impression that you are primarily
interested in what you can get out of this job, not what you can
contribute.
Now,
consider these suggestions for doing well in interviews..
1.
Know something about the business.
Whether this is a large company, government organization, or mom-and-pop
firm, learn as much as you can about the business before the interview.
With so much information readily available on the Internet, this is
usually pretty easy to do. So easy, in fact, that you will seem very
unprepared if you haven’t at least checked out their website.
2.
Study your own resume.
Be sure that you are prepared to talk intelligently about the
responsibilities, projects, and accomplishments listed. Look over your
resume with the eyes of an interviewer and consider what questions might
come to mind. Be prepared to answer them.
3.
Practice common questions.
The goal of any interview is to determine whether an applicant has the
skills, motivation, and “fit” for the job, so interview questions are
often quite similar. You should decide in advance how you will answer
questions that can easily be anticipated. Trying to “wing it” in an
interview is not a good idea! (For a list of sample interview
questions, see “Conducting Effective
Employment Interviews” under the “Leadership” tab on our home page.)
4.
Dress one step up.
When deciding what to wear, you need to dress just a little better than
the prevailing norms at your prospective employer. If people in this
job wear jeans, then show up in business casual. If they wear business
casual, then you need slightly more formal attire. But showing up in a
three-piece-suit to apply for the jeans job would classify as odd!
5.
Watch your self-talk.
If you keep mentally telling yourself that you might screw this up, then
you’ll come to believe that. And if you define this as a life-or-death
situation, vocationally speaking, then you’ll just work yourself into a
nervous tizzy. Recognize that this is just a conversation about
yourself, and you know more about yourself than anyone else. You’re the
expert on your abilities and experiences. So relax.
6.
When you meet the interviewer, smile and act friendly.
First impressions are extremely important! You need to look like
someone people might want to work with.
7.
Make the interviewer comfortable.
Odd though it may seem, many managers are nervous about conducting
interviews. One of your goals should be to do your part to make this a
comfortable conversation. If the manager doesn’t seem to know what to
ask, it’s fine to say, “Would you like me to tell you something about my
experience?”.
8.
Tell helpful stories.
Interviewers are most likely to remember examples of experiences or
accomplishments, so be prepared to describe them in a concise and
interesting way. Tell only the stories that will help the interviewer
conclude that you could be a good match for the job.
9.
Ask questions.
Interviewers usually expect applicants to have some questions, so come
prepared with a few. The purpose of asking questions is not only to get
information, but also to make a positive impression with the type of
questions you ask. The best questions will demonstrate your knowledge
about the business or interest in the job. As mentioned above, too many
self-serving questions will make a negative impression.
10.
Make notes afterward.
After the interview, make notes on what was discussed, what you
learned about the job, and the names of people you met. Especially if
you are interviewing at multiple places, this will help you keep
everything straight and avoid embarrassing moments if you are called
back for a second interview.
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