Interview Skills

Your interview with a potential employer is your opportunity to make a powerful and memorable first impression, however it can also be your biggest mistake if you miss the mark on some simple etiquette rules. If all interviews were only about the questions and your responses, then you may as well conduct the interview over the phone or by post. The purpose of the face to face meeting is that the interviewer wants to see how you present yourself, how you communicate and whether you can create a positive impression. Here are five golden rules for interview success rules which will help you secure that positive impression with the prospective employer.

• Be On Time- Always… (and that means ALWAYS)…. Arrive 15 to 20 minutes earlier than expected, even if it means waiting outside in the street until ten minutes before the time for your interview has arrived. This will save you the embarrassment of having to excuse your lateness. Even if you have been to the employer’s premises before, you must allow for traffic and other unexpected delays. Use the spare time you have to learn more about your future employer, think about why you want the position and what value you can bring to the new employer. Get to know the receptionist and get a feeling for the office. Read any information about the company that might be available in reception. If for any reason you are running late or cannot make the interview, call and advise the prospective employer at the earliest opportunity. If you have accepted another position elsewhere, call and thank them for the opportunity and their time. You will look that much more professional for doing so and you never know when they will cross your path again. Always keep the doors to business connections open! They may one day become an employer, a customer, a service provider or a colleague!

• Handshake- The handshake that you use to introduce yourself speaks volumes about your character. No one wants to take a limp hand, but they do not want to have their hand crushed either. Be firm, but only to the point where it indicates to the other person that you are confident.

• Mind Your Manners!- From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, you are on your best behavior. Be pleasant to everyone that you meet, smile and speak with a friendly positive tone. You may not know the person that you make a comment to, but you must always assume that to be anything but pleasant, may harm your chances of employment or of career progression with that company.

• Research- Research is essential before any interview. You should go into every interview knowing that you are interviewing them just as much as you are being interviewed, and for this reason you want to know everything that you possibly can about the company, its industry, its culture, and it people, its stability and recent trading history. You should walk into your interview with a number of questions in your mind that you want to ask the interviewer. Take this process seriously, and you will be taken seriously.

• Be Respectful- Even if you have known the interviewer for a long period of time and you have been told that you are the favoured candidate for the position you should always have respect for the interviewer. Behave as you would if you didn’t know that person. You never truly know how the selection process is going to turn out until you’ve been offered the position, so be on your best behavior until you have been formally employed.

• Follow up- After the interview is over, you still have a second chance to make a first impression. Within 24 hours, write a note in the mail to thank the interviewer for his or her time. Just because others don’t do this simply means that you will stand out more from the other candidates. If you have not heard anything within one week, it is quite appropriate to follow up by telephone. You will want to be enthusiastic without being annoying. Go With Your Instinct Much of what is acceptable practice in the interview process is the same behaviour expected throughout all aspects of business etiquette. If you have a doubt about how you should behave or prepare yourself, then ask the question, or do some research to find answers to common questions and concerns. No time to do some research, use your own instincts and act in the manner that you would like people to act toward you.