There are many aspects of interview etiquette to consider when going for job interviews. Some of them should be obvious but here are a few things that I’ve seen arise during interviews that can cost job searchers:
- Arrive on time but not too early.
- Shut your cellphone off.
- Dress appropriately.
- Remember the hand shake and eye contact and don’t forget non-verbal cues.
- Follow instructions.
- Don’t forget the little people.
I’ve seen job searchers arrive for interviews 30 minutes early which is way too early. Arrive 10 minutes early max. If you show up earlier than this, chances are that you could be interrupting the person interviewing you as they could be in the middle of interviewing someone else or doing something otherwise important.
This should be obvious but as the picture above shows, turn your cellphone off! Do it before you go into the interview so you don’t forget.
Your level of position and industry or profession might dictate this but in general terms for professional positions, a suit for a guy and business suit/attire for a woman is the way to go. In this case you can’t go wrong even if the the people you’re interviewing with are dressed in business casual which many companies do these days. You can dress business casual too but not until after they hire you.
I’ve done interviews with people who forget the hand shake on the way in. I’ve done interviews with people who never make eye contact with you and it’s kind of disarming, and not in a good way. A firm handshake and making eye contact with the person or people interviewing you is kind of the way things are done in our culture as far as interviews are concerned. Remember your non-verbal communication cues, too. A sincere smile is good but not so much that you resemble a cheshire cat. Don’t forget to sit upright and don’t fidget or tap your feet or exhibit other nervous tics that can hurt you during an interview. If you’re interviewing with several people, try to give them equal eye contact and don’t forget anyone.
Filling out a form is probably not at the top of your list but if filling out an application or other form is part of the process, do it without making a big deal about it. I had one guy I was interviewing complain about filling out our application because he’d just filled one out at another recruiter’s office. Cry me a river. I didn’t ask him to go to the other recruiter and if he pulled that stunt during an interview with an actual hiring company, he could probably forget about getting a job with them. Not being able to follow instructions (see the part above about showing up on time for the interview) is not a good first impression to leave with someone who has a say in your immediate employment prospects.
I’m being sarcastic but don’t forget the people who you might (incorrectly) assume have no impact on your future prospects with the company you’re interviewing with. Don’t ignore the secretary or receptionist. (S)he might have a say in you getting the job and the hiring manager might ask them about what you did while you were waiting in the lobby. If you interview with a person who would be a peer or even a subordinate to you, expect that if they’re important enough to be part of the interview process that they’re important enough to be asked for their opinion about you, too. I’ve worked for companies where we helped interview staff and if we didn’t like them, they weren’t hired.
