Know the dress code of the company and dress one notch above it. Make sure your clothes are clean and iron them. Clean your shoes. Clean your nails. Take out all visible piercings. Cover visible tattoos. Women, skip the perfume, low-cut tops, too short skirts, too high heels, and too much jewelry. Men, shave or trim your beard. Don’t wear shirts in weird colors. Don't wear jeans. If it’s an office job, wear a jacket and if it’s a law firm or something like it, wear a suit. Dress as though you were meeting that company’s most important client. (I know ... you’re rolling your eyes. Of course you know all this. But then, tell me why so many candidates dress inappropriately for interviews? Believe me, I hear about it afterward)

 

Bring several copies of your resume in a neat, organized folder. Have a pen in your pocket. Keep eye contact, don’t grin like a fool but keep a small smile on your face (you’re happy to be there, aren’t you?), when you’re not talking, nod encouragingly, converse like a normal person. Accentuate the positive. Don’t whine or complain about anything (your life, your kids, your parents, your previous job. No one likes a whiner). Don’t be better than anyone else. Don’t be nervous, this is just another person you’re meeting in your life – an opportunity to get to know someone new.

 

But … it’s not. Remember this is an interview. One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they can forget these folks are not their buddies and this isn’t a social situation. Some interviewers are great at making you feel at home, relaxed, making you feel you can talk confidentially. I have one client who had a previous career as a youth minister. He’s terrific at getting people to talk. He sits back, puts his feet up and starts just chatting away with candidates. Soon they’re swapping stories and he’s learning oh-so-much about them. Candidates get comfortable and in no time at all, launch into their personal situations (previous problems at work, bad upbringing, marriage/family problems, mental health issues) – way too much, way too soon. I think I’m pretty good at interviewing but I’m always stunned by what he gets candidates to say.

 

Keep in mind that despite how comfortable you may get during an interview,this is serious business. I’ve had candidates flame out because they flirted with their interviewer (OK, in this case he was pretty handsome, but still…), complained about their previous job, let inside information about former clients slip out, revealed far too much personal information, and confided long-term career goals which had absolutely nothing to do with the job at hand (why would anyone tell an interviewer that they only wanted this job for a year while they saved up to open a teeth-whitening kiosk in a mall? That’s a true story, I’m afraid to say).

 

Keep your focus on the task at hand – presenting yourself in the best possible light for the job in front of you. Your interviewer is looking for someone who will join on, work hard, work smart, be loyal, and contribute. Everything you say during the interview should corroborate that you are that person. Don’t deviate from that message. 

 

OK?

 

 

 

 

 

Gillian's Interview Rules