For a lot of students, college/university is the easy part where they are able to breeze right through the academic process and graduate in the top percentile. But what about after graduation? A lot of students have no clue how to handle an interview process, its a huge learning curve for many people. Here is a list of the Do’s and Don’ts for your next job interview:
Do’s
1. Dress appropriately for the job you are interviewing for, In today’s world, not every career requires you to show up in a three piece suit with your hair slicked back. Just dress to impress for the industry that you are hoping to break in to!
2. Shake your interviewers hand while looking them straight in the eyes. This is very important to make a good first impression, along with this repeat his/her name after they introduce themselves; this will also help you to remember their name for the end of the interview.
3. Come in with all of your paperwork, resume, cover letter, letter’s of recommendation and anything else that sets you apart from the other candidates.
4. Be confident! This can make or break your interview process…Now we said Confident not Cocky, be careful with that one.
5. Ask questions that you have prepared a head of time, this will show that you have done your research and you are serious about the position.
6. Lastly, thank the interviewer for their time and dont be afraid to inquire about following up with the status of the job opening.
Dont’s
1. Arrive late or just on time for the interview. Make sure you are early to give yourself some time to mentally prepare before going in.
2. Be prepared. Along with your paperwork, make sure you have something to write with so you can jot down notes if need be.
3. Stray off topic, its all well and good to feel comfortable in your interview and talk a bit about yourself, but your interviewer does not need to know what you had for dinner last night.
4. Don’t talk negatively about your current or previous employer(s). This is a big no, no…have you ever heard of five degrees of seperation? Even if your interviewer has never heard of your previous employers, this is just bad form.
5. Don’t fidget, this is distracting and not a good impression to give your interviewer.
6. Don’t ask for time off in your interview, this is a red flag to a potential employer!
Hope this helps, and remember in your next interview create a lasting first impression!
