We all know that interviewing can be stressful. This blog is designed to give you some Do’s and Don’ts for all stages of interviewing. When preparing for an interview you will want to:

  • Prepare ahead of time - Learn about the company.  Identify questions that will lead into conversation that will highlight your expertise.  Not only should you compile your related materials to take with you but you should review and practice your answers as well.
  • Decide what you’re going to wear – make sure that your clothes are clean, ironed, and ready to go.
  • Get directions – make sure you know where you’re going! You can ask the company for directions or use one of the internet search engines to look them up.

You Don’t want to:

  • Wear jeans, t-shirt, sneakers, excessive amounts of jewelry, or cologne/perfume
  • Skip your interview because you get lost on the way there

On the day of your interview, as well as during the interview itself you will want to:

  • Arrive early to fill out any paperwork
  • Take extra copies of your resume with you – you should never assume that the interviewer has reviewed your resume or if you’ll have an impropmptu meeting with another member of the company
  • Be aware of your body language – employers can tell a lot about you from the eye contact you keep and the way you present yourself
  • Answer ALL of the interviewer’s questions – make sure you provide as much detail as possible and don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat or elaborate on the question

You should not:

  • Take over the interview! You want to create 2 way dialogue but you want to make sure that you are not only asking questions but answering questions as well
  • Bring up the topic of salary and benefits before the interviewer does. You want to let the employer know what you can do for them, not what they can do for you
  • Leave the interview without getting the interviewer’s contact information!

Once your interview is over there is only 1 thing you should DO…

FOLLOW UP! Use the contact information you got at the end of your interview to send not only a Thank You letter to the interviewer, but to follow up (no more than 3 business days later). Both of these will help you stand out from the rest of the candidates and keep you fresh in the mind of the interviewer.

Have you been on a recent interview?  Please tell us about your experience.  Are you preparing for an interview?  What key areas are you focused on as you prepare?