Part 2: The Day of the Interview Dress for the interview. As a rule of thumb, you should dress for the interview the way you would for the job itself. (If the job is unusually casual, however, you might want to show up in business-casual clothes to be safe.) Choose subdued colors (blues, browns, grays, black) and make sure that your clothes are lint- and wrinkle-free. Avoid wearing perfume, after-shave, or scented lotion (but do wear deodorant). Applicants in banking or wealth management, business, academia, politics, and health-related sectors should show up for an interview in business formal clothing unless otherwise noted. For women, this means a skirt suit or pant suit in a dark color, along with closed toe shoes and subtle makeup. For men, this means a dark-colored suit and tie and dark-colored shoes.[1] Applicants in the service sector are usually invited to wear business casual to an interview, although business formal is optional. For women, this means a simple, knee length dress with conservative shoes (no jeans). For men, this means dark or khaki pants with a collared button-up and leather shoes.[1] If youre unsure of the customary interview clothing expected by the company, simply ask the HR rep or interview liaison. Theres no shame in it. There is shame in feeling horribly over- or under-dressed when you show up for an interview. 2 Show up in the best possible shape. Make sure you know exactly how to get there and just where to park so that you can arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the scheduled interview time. Go to bed early the day (or the days) before the interview so that you look rested and healthy on the big day. Bring an extra copy of your resume, CV, and/or references in case your interviewer wants to go over any points with you or neglects to bring their own copy. If the interview is in the morning, be sure to eat a healthy breakfast. This is not just an empty suggestion. A breakfast high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and foods high in vitamin E, such as nuts and seeds, will help improve brain function and leave you feeling more alert and invigorated.[2] Consider exercising before the interview to annihilate stress and increase blood flow.[3] If youre generally nervous or fidgety before an interview, it might be a good idea to work out before your interview. Go hard for an hour, and give your body at least another hour to calm down. Shower after exercising. 3 Show courtesy to everyone during the interview. This means everyone from the reception staff to the interviewer herself. You never know who has input in the hiring process, and you can only make a first impression once. Look everyone in the eye and smile. Looking people in the eye will telegraph alertness, and smiling will signal friendliness. Speak clearly and say please and thank you. Make sure the people you talk to during the interview can make out what youre saying. Talking audibly, with good enunciation, tells people youre confident, while good manners tells them youre considerate of other people. Dont noodle around on your phone or electronic device while waiting. In fact, leave it in your car. Even though its practically acceptable, playing around on your phone can communicate boredom and frivolousness (even if thats not the case). Stick with a book or review your notes while waiting. 4 Be honest. Many people think that an interview is the perfect time to embellish. While you want to structure your answers so that your best, most qualified aspects take center stage, you dont want to deceive or outright lie. Companies do perform background checks, and lying about your experience is simply not worth it. In a pinch, take a cue from politicians. When a politician hears a question they dont like, they simply answer a different question. You dont want to do this all the time, but you can do it in a pinch. 5 Keep things simple and short. Talking about yourself can be very difficult to well: Youre trying to convince someone you dont know that youre qualified for a position without sounding too cocky or pompous. Stick to what you know well, and keep things short and sweet. Structure your answers so that youre talking in 30-90 second chunks. Any less and youre likely to seem unqualified; any more and your interviewer is likely to lose interest in what youre saying. In the tell me about yourself question, highlight 2-3 illustrative examples about yourself before wrapping up. [4] Dont use slang or off-color humor during your interview. Its important not to say awesome or rad during an interview, unless youre interviewing for the local lifeguard position. Its also a good rule to avoid off-color humor; you never know when someone might take offense, and its best not to risk it. Talk about what other people think you do well. Dont add the preamble, My friends think Im a competent social organizer. Just go out and say it with the right touch of confidence and humility. Women tend to underestimate their overall job performance,[5] so be aware of that before you second-guess or undercut yourself, because its unlikely to get you a job. Dont criticize your former employer. When youre talking about your past experience, be courteous about your former places of employment. Be honest about your experience — what you liked and disliked — but dont indict your former boss unnecessarily. Your class and restraint will shine through. 6 Be personable. Try to come off as a genuinely likable person if you can. If youre cynical, pessimistic, and absolutely disabused of any faith in humanity, try to tone it down during the interview. Being personable is about getting the interviewers emotional side to like you and believe in you. Employers dont always hire the candidates most qualified for the job, but rather the candidates they like the best. Part 3: After the Interview Shake hands with the interviewer and exchange pleasantries. Try to invest some feeling into the handshake and pleasantries, even if you think you bombed the interview. The interviewer should give you a time frame for when to expect to get a callback, if applicable. Hold your head high and keep your cool. Your emotions are probably teetering at the highest of highs or the lowest of lows, but try to stay measured. Project a cool confidence — not cockiness — and walk out of the interview with your head held high. If the interviewer does not tell you when they will contact you if youre a good fit for the position, its appropriate to ask, When can I expect to hear back from you about the position? This will prove important later on. 2 Send a thank-you letter to your interviewer and/or liaison. Now is a good time to thank the person you interviewed with, even if its just a formality. You can say something like: Dear [interviewers name], Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you. I remain very impressed by [interviewers company], and invite you to contact me if you have any further questions. I look forward to hearing from you about this position. If you missed any important points in your interview you wanted to stress, you may include one or two in the thank-you letter. Keep the points brief, and tie them into a discussion point that you or the interviewer made during the interview. If you received any help in getting the interview, follow up with appropriate parts of your network. Inform them that you received an interview, are grateful they helped you in your career search, and would be eager to help them in the future. 3 Follow up with the interviewer at the appropriate time. You should have received some information about when you could expect to hear back from the employer. The standard time is about two weeks, but it can depend. If youve waited past the designated callback date — or the callback date wasnt set and its been two weeks — follow up with the interviewer in a short email. You can say something like: Dear [interviewers name], I interviewed at your company [at such and such date], and am still interested in the position if it hasnt yet been filled. Id greatly appreciate any information you might have about my candidacy. I look forward to hearing from you. While you cant control your past experience or the way someone measures you against someone else, you can control how much of your time you dedicate to showing the interviewer you really want the position. Dont be needy, and dont be greedy, but be persistent and courteous. Youll work harder than at least half the other candidates, and it could be the decisive factor in getting a job offer.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 18:37:45 +0000
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