How to Face an Interview – Part 02 Acting The Interview

Dress professionally. If you want to make a good impression, then you have to start off by dressing professionally. If that means spending some money on a business-appropriate outfit, then you’ll have to make this choice; having at least one solid interview outfit can really help you land the job of your dreams. Even if the office is a bit more casual, you should err on the side of being a bit overdressed, which is far better than looking casual in front of formally-dressed interviewers.[4]

• Make sure to groom yourself well and to pay attention to your hygiene, too. If you don’t put time and effort into your appearance, it will show.
• Try on your outfit at least a few days before to make sure that it’s flattering and that there are no problems with it. You don’t want to put on your interview outfit an hour before your interview to find that the store clerk forgot to take off the security tag.

Arrive at least 10 minutes early. Showing up a little bit early to the interview shows that you’re punctual and that you really care about your job. Plus, if you rush in there just before it’s time to begin, you won’t have time to decompress and get into a relaxed state of mind. If your potential employers see that you can’t even arrive to an interview on time, they’ll be likely to think that there’s not a big chance that you’ll show up to work on time, either.[5]

• Even if you’re really early, throw out your Starbucks coffee at the door. Rolling in with coffee shows that you’re taking too much of a casual approach. Also your breath likely smells like coffee now–something else to avoid.
• If you arrive very early wait outside or in your car. More than 15 minutes or so is too early. Unintentionally you may end up making your interviewers flustered because they aren’t ready for you. It also may come across as being too desperate or disorganized.

Introduce yourself with confidence. When you walk into the room, stand tall, make eye contact, put a smile on your face, and give your interviewers a firm, confident handshake when you introduce yourself. Walk with confidence and avoid fidgeting or looking around the room; remember that you only have one chance to make a first impression, and you want it to count.[6]

• You can say something simple like, “I’m Susan. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”

Be articulate when you answer the questions. Speak as clearly and confidently as you can and make eye contact when you share your thoughts and ideas. Try to avoid saying “like” or “um” too much and focus on getting your points across, even if that means pausing to think. The most important thing is that you deliver your words with confidence and sound like you really mean what you say.

• Practicing saying what you have to say aloud can help you gain the confidence to be articulate during your interview. That said, you should make sure your words sound natural, not rehearsed.

Avoid sharing overly personal information. Though you may feel like your interviewers really like you and that they’re getting buddy buddy with you, you should avoid mentioning anything overly personal about yourself. Don’t talk about your significant other, your kids, or your personal problems at home; this shows that you’re not focused on the job and that you’re unprofessional.

• Of course, if you see that your interviewer has a big poster of your favorite sports team in his office, you can mention the connection in passing to make a connection if it comes up. Never fake an interest or skill, however.
• Careful in sharing hobbies or organizations that may reveal religion, ethnicity, or political affiliations unless pertinent to your position. It is a bit of a grey area. On one hand, your involvement with LGBT organizations on your college campus is excellent training in many business areas and a plus in many job positions, but unfortunately might leave you open to discrimination which has nothing to do with your skills.

Make sure to thank your interviewers in person. When the interview is over, show that you’re grateful for the fact that your interviewers took the time to meet with you and to get a chance to talk to you about your skills and qualifications. As you leave the room, shake your interviewer’s hand again and make sure to look her in the eye and give her a sincere smile and a real thank you; this shows that you’re considerate and that you’re really grateful for the opportunity.

• Say something simple like, “Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me. This has been a wonderful opportunity and I really appreciate it.”
• As the conversation wraps up, you can also ask about a time frame and next steps. They should tell you when they’ll get back to you and what the next steps would be.

Know what not to do. There are a few things you should avoid at all costs when you go into an interview. Many people don’t know that a few innocent comments can actually cause a big red flag to go up for the interviewer. Choose your words carefully and make sure you give an impression of being a respectful, hard worker who is truly excited about the position. Here are some things you should avoid:

• Don’t ask about the perks of the job before you’ve been given an offer. This will make it look like you’re more interested in vacation days than in working.
• Don’t talk about how you’ve applied to a million jobs without being asked for an interview. Make it look like you really want this specific position.
• Don’t say something that shows how little you know about the company or how little research you’ve done. Make sure your potential employers see that you really care about the company.

Don’t bad mouth your current job or employer. Even if your boss is a rude, petty, inconsiderate, condescending jerk and your job is unstimulating and you feel completely unfulfilled there, you should say something like, “I’ve gained a lot of great experiences at my current position, but I’m ready for a new challenge.” If you say horrible things about your job or your boss, then your potential future employers will think that you may turn around and say the same about them in the future.[8]

• You want to give the impression of being an easygoing, agreeable person who is easy to work with. Even if your conflicts at work aren’t your fault, you don’t want to give the impression of being someone who is difficult to work with.

Follow up. Once you’ve completed your interview, you should send your interviewer a quick email thanking him or her for taking the time to meet with you and to reiterate your interest in this position. Taking the time to write a quick note to your interviewer shows that you took the process seriously and that you’re eager to find out about the next steps.

• Besides, not everyone does this, so you will make yourself stand out as a person who is truly passionate about the position.