Role-play interview questions, practice handshakes, and maintaining eye contact with a friend or family member.
Prepare a folder with three copies of your resume, the names and telephone numbers from positive past work or personal references on a separate sheet of paper that can be left behind. (Be sure to have asked the people you intend to use as references for their permission.)
Prepare a list of questions you would like answered about the company or position, such as:
Plan your trip to the interview location to arrive five to ten minutes early, allowing for traffic considerations and parking. If you're earlier than ten or fifteen minutes, do not go directly to the interview. (Early arrivals are annoying for some interviewers.) Find a place to sit down and review your notes.
Know the name and title of the person you are meeting.
Dress for the job! The goal is for the interviewer to remember you – not your clothes! Make sure your clothes are clean and pressed. Wear conservative colors and styles.
Gentlemen should wear socks the same color as their pants with lace-up or slip on shoes (no sandals or tennis shoes).
Ladies should wear neutral colored hose with closed-toe shoes. Both makeup and nail polish should be low key.
Avoid excessive jewelry, hairstyles, and fragrance.
Stand up, extend your hand, and introduce yourself when the interviewer enters the room.
Sit quietly, leaning slightly forward to show your interest. Speak clearly and distinctly.
Take a moment to think when responding to questions. You don’t have to give the ‘correct’ answer right away. Interviewers are impressed with people who take a few seconds to think about their responses.
If you do not understand a question, ask the interviewer to repeat or rephrase the question, or repeat the question back to the interviewer to be sure you are answering the correct question.
At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer, express your interest in the position (if you are interested) and inquire about the next step in the process.
Review your interview immediately as an opportunity to build your skills for your next interview! Make notes of question you felt unprepared to answer, as well as questions you felt you handled well. Also, list any questions you forgot to ask or any questions that came up for you after you left the interview.
Prepare a brief note thanking the interviewer for their time and expressing your interest in the position and company. (See a sample in ‘Interview Correspondence’).
If you have not heard from the company in the time frame you set at the end of the interview, follow-up with a phone call to the interviewer to check on the status of the position.
Even if you are not selected for a position, any interview is a great opportunity to learn. Ask the interviewer what deciding factors were used in making their decision. You may also ask for feedback from your interview. If the position was something you were interested in pursuing, you may also ask if there are any suggestions about other positions or the best way to secure a similar position.