Dress appropriately. Stories abound about men who have gone to interviews in jeans, obviously unbathed, with dirty fingernails or unkempt hair, and women who have attended interviews wearing curlers or low-cut cocktail dresses. Those folks did not get job offers. Some use their clothing to make a statement, justifying such dress with the self-defeating logic, "If they don't like what I wear, I don't want to work there anyway." Such an attitude, however, only hurts the applicant.
The emphasis is on appropriate dress; there is no rule which fits all people. For male and female professionals, a conservative and properly-fitting business suit is recommended. Pant suits for women may be acceptable on the job but should rarely be worn for interviews. If in doubt, dress up. You may know in advance that office dress is casual, but don't use that as a cue to dress down. It's fine to be dressed in a suit while being interviewed by someone dressed casually. Everyone knows that when appropriate, people can dress down, but they have much less confidence that people are willing to dress up. Scents used by men or women should be subtle, with just a touch used. Jewelry should be conservative and limited. Unless you know it is highly accepted, a man's earring should be removed for the interview. Beards and mustaches are generally accepted when nicely groomed. Shower before a day of interviewing and make sure your shoes are well shined.
Bring pen and pad. When the interviewer gives you some key information, you'll want to have a pen and pocket-sized note pad handy. As soon as you get back to your car, jot down your impressions about the job and the organization. List any questions that you feel did not get adequately answered. While many prefer the approach of taking notes immediately after the interview, some people would rather take notes during the interview. If you take notes during the interview, do it as unobtrusively as possible and maintain eye contact as you take your notes. Your notes may be a little hard to read as a result, but you can always rewrite them later. The important thing is to give total concentration to what is being said by the interviewer.
Remember the interviewer's name. Nothing is so important to people as their name. Anthony Medley, in his book Sweaty Palms, recalls an applicant who kept referring to him as Mr. Melody. She didn't get the job. If you're unsure of the pronunciation of the interviewer's name, ask the receptionist. Do not call the person by his or her first name unless invited to do so. When meeting a woman, ask the receptionist if the interviewer prefers Mrs. or Ms. Shake hands firmly. Offer your hand as soon as the interviewer makes the first move. If you are a woman, offer your hand first if you feel comfortable doing so since men are sometimes cautious about offering a hand to a woman. Most people like a firm handshake but de test both the limp and bone crushing types.
Wait before you sit. Allow the interviewer to invite you to be seated and to indicate where to sit. If no indication is made, you can ask or simply sit down in the chair which is most obvious.
Look for clues about interests. Photographs or mementos on a desk or wall can often provide clues regarding a person's interests. Discussing a shared interest can help build rapport at the beginning of an interview. For example, if a person's office has a nautical theme, it may mean that the person loves to sail or study the subject, or it may simply mean that this person likes the visual effect of such a theme. Rather than assume too much, broach the subject with an exploratory question such as, "Do you sail?" The person may respond with, "I love to sail, how about you?" If you share a love of sailing, the two of you will probably have an interesting conversation and the interviewer will begin with the belief that the two of you share numerous values and interests. That will help you. If you don't sail, you might respond with, "No, I don't sail but I've always wanted to/' or "No, but I love to watch sail boats. It must be an interesting sport." The interviewer might then share a few past experiences before getting fully into the interview. Listen attentively. Avoid overstating your interest or experience in a hobby, however: it could come back to haunt you.
No smoking or gum chewing. If you're a smoker and your interviewer lights up a cigarette and offers you one, tactfully decline. You cannot fully sell yourself with a cigarette in your hand. Gum chewing during an interview is considered rude.
No profanity. Even if your interviewer uses salty language, keep yours totally free of profanity. Even among those who swear themselves, hearing it out of the mouth of an interviewee is a turnoff. Some interviewers will even use profanity as a test to see if you will join in. Don't.
Keep it interesting. Throughout the interview you must keep your responses interesting. One of the worst sins of interviewing is to bore the interviewer. Long-winded, rambling responses will cause the interviewer to lose interest. Responses that are concise and packed with key information, however, will maintain the interviewer's interest. When you're through, the interviewer may be so interested in the experience you've just described that he or she will want to know more and will ask a follow-up question. Anytime you see evidence that you've lost the interviewer, finish your response as quickly as possible. Go in with an agenda. The employer has an agenda and so should you. In your pocket-sized notebook, using your own shorthand, list the points you want to get across and the examples you want to give. List a few questions that you can ask if the employer invites you to ask them. Toward the end of the interview, you can glance at your agenda to see if you've missed anything.
Practice your intuition. Throughout the interview try to detect the biases of the interviewer. Everyone has biases, and sensing the biases of your interviewer can be a real advantage to you. For example, if your interviewer appears to be quite conservative, you as a liberal would be careful during any discussion of social issues. Other biases might include a belief that teamwork in projects is the secret to greater competitiveness, or a belief that if quality is emphasized, profit will follow. When you detect a bias that you personally hold as well, look for opportunities to demonstrate that you share those beliefs. It is human nature that most managers prefer hiring people who are like them.
Ask about needs. If you are interviewing with someone other than the hiring manager, ask about the needs or challenges being faced in the department. Such people are often less reticent to share these types of things than hiring managers.
Detect the problems and challenges being faced. By listening intently and by using your intuition, you'll perceive problems which the interviewer had no intention of revealing. Employers avoid revealing their "dirty laundry," so you must use your intuition to detect it. You need not be absolutely certain that a particular problem exists before you share a pertinent example from your past. If you address the suspected problem by sharing an accomplishment, you'll score points. If you hit a bull's-eye, you'll score more points. Be subtle about it, however.
Don't ask throwaway questions. In the first and second interview you will usually have the opportunity to ask only a few questions, so they should be questions which are truly important to you. Never ask a question just because you think it will show how smart or knowledgeable you are. Often people will pick up an interesting tidbit during their research and then will try to squeeze in a question about it in order to look good. The problem with this, however, is that most employers can detect the true intent behind such a question. Instead of scoring points, such questions can actually cause you to lose points.
Don't assume. Many an interviewee has gotten into trouble by assuming too much. Don't assume the interviewer knows exactly what he wants or needs in an employee. And don't assume the interviewer knows all the right questions to ask. Help the interviewer decide that you are the right person by revealing as many strengths as possible during the interview. Don't assume that you did well or poorly in the interview. People have left an interview feeling they performed masterfully only to learn that the interview was a disaster. Others, who felt certain they'd blown it, have been surprised to get an offer. After each interview, spend a few minutes evaluating how you did, determine how you'll do better next time, and then drop any consideration of how poorly you did. The energy you could spend beating yourself up over what you assume has been a poor interview is totally self-defeating. Leave the interview on a positive note. As you exit the interview, express your interest in the position. Do not ask how you did, as doing so can be embarrassing to both you and the interviewer. It is fine, however, to ask what the next step will be and how soon you might expect an answer.
Get invited back for a second interview. Your goal during the first interview is to get invited back for the second round. Everything you say and do should be geared to that purpose.
Send a thank-you note. Sending a thank-you note, even one as short as three sentences, can be one of the most important things you do. When employers receive thank-you notes, they immediately remember you. Sending a note also makes you stand out positively because so few people send them. Most of all, you should send a thank-you note because it is the courteous thing to do. Thank-you notes can be handwritten or typed.
