After spending hours perfecting your resume and making sure that you understand what the company is looking for you apply for a job. While you are uncertain of where it may take you or what it can lead to, you feel so passionate about the opportunity, more than anything else.
On the day of the interview, you sit down alongside other candidates in the waiting room. With one hand clenching your resume and the other holding a cup of coffee, you seem to be comfortable with feigning confidence even when you are nervous on the inside.
Whether on the candidate or hiring end we’ve all seen the good and the bad of interviewing.
Here are some do’s and don’ts to prepare you for the challenges of an interview:
Do’s:
1. Make a good first impression
Plan what to wear beforehand. Avoid heavy makeup, overly bright colors or casual outfits.
2. Greet with a firm handshake
Try making a connection with your interviewer by projecting confidence. Keep your palm flat, lock your thumb down, and squeeze firmly.
3. Do research
Seek background information and visit the company’s website to make sure you understand what the position you are interviewing for encompasses. Even better, you can prepare a list of questions to ask.
4. Maintain constant eye contact
Follow the interviewer’s eyes, but do not stare aimlessly. For example, it would be natural to look away when you pause to think of an answer.
5. Send a follow up email
Show that you are seriously interested in the position. This also gives you another opportunity to mention any additional information you may have missed during the interview.
Don’ts:
1. Criticize past employers, coworkers, or supervisors
Focusing on the negative experience of your past is not an incentive for your future employers to hire you. It gives the impression that you are a complainer, which is definitely not a desirable quality.
2. Share weaknesses that may be detrimental to your target job
Be honest, but be careful not to reveal anything that can crush your changes at landing the job. The cliché of saying that you are a perfectionist is not a good answer. It would also help to talk about what you have done or how you have conquered the weakness.
3. Use your phone
Make sure that your phone is turned off. Period.
4. Make vague or untruthful statements about your qualifications
Dishonesty during the interview can be checked and used against you, especially an in era of massive information ability. It is better to be upfront than to stretch the truth.
5. Talk too much
Keep your answers informative yet brief. Only elaborate more if and when asked.
Let us know if you have any “Do’s or Don’ts” you have learned from candidates that you would
like to share with our network!
