Workshops: Interviewing Like A Pro

Things to Remember:

• Always wear business attire and keep shoes in good condition. Nothing spoils an overall picture more quickly than shoes that are not polished or scuffed beyond repair.
• Keep hands well groomed. This means spotlessly cleaned with trimmed nails or with a fresh manicure.
• Hair should also be well groomed and in a conservative style.
• Pay attention to your scent. Women with powerful perfumes and men with intense colognes can destroy interviews. It is advised that no perfumes or colognes be worn during an interview.
• Go to the restroom before you arrive at the employment lobby.
• A good night's sleep is strongly recommended before an interview. Candidates should be rested and at their best for interviews.
• Be prompt. The worst thing a candidate can do is arrive late for an interview, so candidates should plan to be 10 to 15 minutes early for any scheduled interview. If a candidate is late or arrives just in the nick of time, the interviewer may wonder how prompt the candidate may be after he/she is hired.
• A firm and brief handshake is important at the beginning of the interview. Smile as you shake hands and introduce yourself.
• Sit in your chair in a straight position.
• Make a conscious effort not to show nervousness. Swinging legs, cracking knuckles, and twirling of the hair are signs of nervousness and should be avoided.
• Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Not only does this imply self confidence, it also provides the impression that there is nothing to hide.
• The interviewer is the one who should set the pace of the interview, not the candidate. Let the interviewer lead with the questions and decide when the interview is over.
• Study your qualifications and abilities, and arrange this information in your mind so that you can present it briefly and clearly in the interview.
• Be able to give continuous record of all your jobs, dates of employment, wages received, the exact nature of your work, and the reason you left. This information is important to the employer.
• Be able to give as references the names of three responsible and reliable people who know you well.
• Speak with confidence and enthusiasm. Do not bluff or exaggerate. Use good English, speak distinctly, but be careful you don't talk too much.
• Learn as much as you can beforehand about the company to which you are applying. Do not be afraid to ask questions about the company or the job.
• Answer all the employer's questions accurately, honestly, frankly, and promptly.
• Before you leave an interview, find out when to expect the company's decision.

Things to Avoid:

• Do not sit until the interviewer offers a seat.
• Do not take notes during the interview. However, before an interview is over, you may verbally summarize the interview.
• Do not wear your outerwear into the interview. All outer garments such as overcoats and topcoats should be taken off before you go into an interview.
• Do not smoke during an interview. Do not chew gum, eat candy, or have anything else in your mouth during an interview.
• Sunglasses are strictly forbidden in an interview. If you wear glasses, but not all the time, it is important that you do not rest them on your head. Glasses should be put in a pocket or a purse.
• Do not listen in on any phone calls during an interview. It is hard not to listen, but you must do your best to tune the conversation out. After the interviewer gets off the phone, you should never comment on something that was said or ask a question about the conversation.
• If someone enters the office during the interview, candidates do not need to stand. It is only appropriate to stand up if the candidate is introduced to the person who has come in.
• Do not read or inspect documents on the interviewer's desk.
• Do not call an interviewer "sir" or "ma'am" too many times. Respect is mandatory, but candidates do not need to go overboard.
• Use the interviewer's name in the interview, but do not overuse it.
• An overly lighthearted approach to an interview will cause an interviewer to question the seriousness of a candidate, so being a joker is not advised. Candidates need to be reserved because an interview is formal. Humor can come later.
• Do not criticize others, including past employers or associates.
• An interviewer's job is to get to know candidates by talking to them, so you should not give one or two word answers. If a candidate goes into a shell, he/she will probably not be hired. However, you should not overpower the conversation either. Answer questions thoroughly, but do not drone on forever, and do not volunteer excessive personal details.
• Do not interrupt the interviewer when he/she is speaking.
• Do not use profanity, even if the interviewer does, because it can never help an image.
• Do not come out and say, "Will I get the job?" This question tends to box an interviewer in and that will only work against a candidate. Instead, a good response could be, "I hope you will consider me as a candidate for this job," or "I am really interested in this job."
• Do not discuss salary until later in the hiring process. You should wait until the interviewer brings up the subject.