The Do's and Don'ts of Interviewing
Interview DO's
- Dress appropriately
for the industry; err on the side of being conservative to show you take the
interview seriously. Your personal grooming and cleanliness should be
impeccable.
- Know the exact time
and location of your interview; know how long it takes to get there, park, find
a rest room to freshen up, etc.
- Arrive early; 10
minutes prior to the interview start time.
- Treat other people
you encounter with courtesy and respect. Their opinions of you might be
solicited during hiring decisions.
- Offer a firm
handshake, make eye contact, and have a friendly expression when you are
greeted by your interviewer.
- Listen to be sure
you understand your interviewer's name and the correct pronunciation.
- Even when your
interviewer gives you a first and last name, address your interviewer by title
(Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name, until invited to do otherwise.
- Maintain good eye
contact during the interview.
- Sit still in your
seat; avoid fidgeting and slouching.
- Respond to
questions and back up your statements about yourself with specific examples
whenever possible.
- Ask for
clarification if you don't understand a question.
- Be thorough in your
responses, while being concise in your wording.
- Be honest and be
yourself. Dishonesty gets discovered and is grounds for withdrawing job offers
and for firing. You want a good match between yourself and your employer. If
you get hired by acting like someone other than yourself, you and your employer
will both be unhappy.
- Treat the interview
seriously and as though you are truly interested in the employer and the
opportunity presented.
- Exhibit a positive
attitude. The interviewer is evaluating you as a potential co-worker. Behave
like someone you would want to work with.
- Have intelligent
questions prepared to ask the interviewer. Having done your research about the
employer in advance, ask questions which you did not find answered in your
research.
- Evaluate the
interviewer and the organization s/he represents. An interview is a two-way
street.
- Conduct yourself
cordially and respectfully, while thinking critically about the way you are
treated and the values and priorities of the organization.
- Do expect to be
treated appropriately. If you believe you were treated inappropriately or asked
questions that were inappropriate or made you uncomfortable, discuss this with
a Career Services advisor or the director.
- Make sure you
understand the employer's next step in the hiring process; know when and from
whom you should expect to hear next. Know what action you are expected to take
next, if any.
- When the
interviewer concludes the interview, offer a firm handshake and make eye
contact.
- Depart gracefully.
- After the
interview, make notes right away so you don't forget critical details.
- Write a thank-you
letter to your interviewer promptly.
Interview
DON'Ts
- Don't make excuses. Take
responsibility for your decisions and your actions.
- Don't
make negative comments about previous employers or professors (or others).
- Don't
falsify application materials or answers to interview questions.
- Don't
treat the interview casually, as if you are just shopping around or doing the
interview for practice. This is an insult to the interviewer and to the
organization.
- Don't
give the impression that you are only interested in an organization because of
its geographic location.
- Don't
give the impression you are only interested in salary; don't ask about salary
and benefits issues until the subject is brought up by your interviewer.
- Don't
act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment.
- Don't
make the interviewer guess what type of work you are interested in; it is not
the interviewer's job to act as a career advisor to you.
- Don't
be unprepared for typical interview questions. You may not be asked all of them
in every interview, but being unprepared looks foolish.
- A
job search can be hard work and involve frustrations; don't exhibit
frustrations or a negative attitude in an interview.
- Don't
go to extremes with your posture; don't slouch, and don't sit rigidly on the
edge of your chair.
- Don't
assume that a female interviewer is "Mrs." or "Miss." Address her as "Ms."
unless told otherwise. Her marital status is irrelevant to the purpose of the
interview.
- Don't
chew gum or smell like smoke.
- Don't
take cell phone calls during an interview. If you carry a cell phone, turn it
off during the interview to be sure it doesn't ring.
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