2015-16 2nd Year Blog: 2015

How to act in an interview?

Do’s:

	Dress appropriately for the industry; err on the side of being conservative to show you take the interview seriously. Your personal grooming and cleanliness should be impeccable. · I agree with this point as if you are applying for an office job and you turn up in a tracksuit, you will not be seen as taking the job you are applying for seriously.
	Know the exact time and location of your interview; know how long it takes to get there, park, find a rest room to freshen up, etc. · I think this is another good point. If you turn up for the interview late you again will not been seen as wanting the job as badly as you have made out in your application.
	Arrive early; 10 minutes prior to the interview start time [or earlier if the event or employer instructs you to do so]. · Arriving early to an interview show enthusiasm and dedication to the job and will most likely not be overlooked.
	Treat other people you encounter with courtesy and respect. Their opinions of you might be solicited during hiring decisions. · You should treat every person you meet with these traits as if is a pleasant thing to do and shows you have manners. This could be the difference between you getting the job and you being turned away in a heartbeat.
	Offer a firm handshake, make eye contact, and have a friendly expression when you are greeted by your interviewer. · Your body language will tell a lot about your personality and will be looked closely at during the entire interview if the person taking the interview wants to find someone worth hiring.
	Listen to be sure you understand your interviewer's name and the correct pronunciation. · This is a key thing people mess up in their interviews. If you can’t listen to a person’s name correctly and mispronounce it, this could make you look like you are not listening to anything the interviewer is saying.
	Use formality. Even when your interviewer gives you a first and last name, address your interviewer by title (Miss., Mrs., Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name, until invited to do otherwise. · Showing you can address people with formal titles shows so much respect and will be appreciated during your interview.
	Maintain good eye contact during the interview. · Having eye contact with your interviewer shows that you are very dedicated to knowing what they have to say to you and also will show that you are being respectful.
	Sit still in your seat; avoid fidgeting and slouching. · Having a good posture and the ability to sit still shows you can pay attention to the interviewer and will make you seems more interested in the job and to what they are saying.
	Respond to questions and back up your statements about yourself with specific examples whenever possible. · This shows that you were not lying about anything you have claimed in your application and will make you seem very well prepared for the interview.
	Do focus on your positive characteristics and strengths and qualifications for the job. [Don't criticize yourself.] · If you criticize yourself I will make you seem less confident and will backfire when it comes to the job if it involves taking charge in any way possible and also will show them that you don’t think you are really up for the job.
	Ask for clarification if you don't understand a question. · If you don’t understand something and you don’t tell them they will think that you do understand everything, so when it comes to putting your skills you don’t know in action you will look like you have lied and you could possibly lose your job.
	Be thorough in your responses, while being concise in your wording. · Having the ability to have quick responses and correct terminology show you are very well rehearsed and understand the terms within the job you are applying for.
	Be honest and be yourself — your best professional self. Dishonesty gets discovered and is grounds for withdrawing job offers and for firing. You want a good match between yourself and your employer. If you get hired by acting like someone other than yourself, you and your employer will both be unhappy. · If you are dishonest will only come back to bite you and if you have made something up about yourself that is not true then you will find that you will get found out one way or another. Also make you are yourself but not in an unprofessional way because if you do act unprofessional you can be sure to not get the job.
	Treat the interview seriously and as though you are truly interested in the employer and the opportunity presented. · Make sure that you are serious about the job you have applied for because if you’re not it will show in your interview. If this happens you will be sure to find that they will more than likely not consider you for the position.
	Exhibit a positive attitude. The interviewer is evaluating you as a potential co-worker. Behave like someone you would want to work with. · If you act like someone who you wouldn’t work with, what would make you think that an interviewer would want to work with you either? Don’t let on about any possible ways that you could make yourself unfit for the job.
	Have intelligent questions prepared to ask the interviewer. Having done your research about the employer in advance, ask questions which you did not find answered in your research. · Having questions prepared show that you have thought about your interview in advance and want to know more than what they are willing to tell you. This will help them you see that you are interested and not just going because you have been forced to go.
	Evaluate the interviewer and the organization s/he represents. An interview is a two-way street. Conduct yourself cordially and respectfully, while thinking critically about the way you are treated and the values and priorities of the organization. · I think that it is as important for the interviewer to be as prepared as the interviewee. If you ask an intelligent question and you think this person in their position should know the answer and dose not then make sure you consider that the job may not be worth it.
	Do expect to be treated appropriately. If you believe you were treated inappropriately or asked questions that were inappropriate or made you uncomfortable, discuss this with a Career Services advisor or the director. · I hope than in any interview regardless of race, religion and age, which you should all be treat equally and fairly as none of these should make any difference in the way you are being treated in your interview.
	Make sure you understand the employer's next step in the hiring process; know when and from whom you should expect to hear next. Know what action you are expected to take next, if any. · Knowing where you go from your interview show that you have done a little research and could have many already made a start to this next step. This can really show off your enthusiasm for getting the position you are applying for.
	When the interviewer concludes the interview, offer a firm handshake and make eye contact. Depart gracefully. · I think that this is one of the most important parts of the interview, as it shows that you are still professional and not just acting for the duration of the interview. If you don’t make eye contact they may think you don’t care and they will not give you the job. Also making you sure the interview has come to a close before you leave will make help you to know when it is time to exit the room in a professional manner. If you just say something like “okay, is that it?” they could think that everything you have just said was not true and that you are not really professional so this could also make them not give you the job.
	After the interview, make notes right away so you don't forget critical details. · This is a key thing to do if you are unfamiliar with the job or the roles within the job.
	Write a thank-you letter to your interviewer promptly. · This shows you are thankful for their time they have giving up to interview you and may help your chances in getting considered for the job you have been interviewed for.

Don’ts

	Don't make excuses. Take responsibility for your decisions and your actions. ◊ If you are very late the only thing you should say is “I’m so very sorry for my timekeeping, I a-sure you I tried my best to get here as soon as I was able.” This shows that you know you are late and that you really did try to get here by the interview time set.
	Don't make negative comments about previous employers or professors (or others). ◊ If you say negative things about other people it could come across as you are a gossip and not a very nice person. This you really make the interviewer not consider you for the job.
	Don't falsify application materials or answers to interview questions. ◊ The best thing to do in the interview is to 100% honest. If you don’t know something yes you may not get the job as you have not got the experience/ skills require but also, it may not. If you have no experience in a few areas of the job you could be offered training to help learn the skills needed.
	Don't make negative statements about yourself. Don't make apologies or talk about what you don't have in your background. [Do focus on the positive.] ◊ Instead of being very negative about yourself and saying sorry for not having the skills, try to say that you are very willing to gain the skills and work hard to achieve high in the job in the future.
	Don't treat the interview casually, as if you are just shopping around or doing the interview for practice. This is an insult to the interviewer and to the organization. ◊ Showing the interviewer that you are really interested in this job and not looking anywhere else could help you get the job for this interview as it shows you’re dedicated to this job and no other.
	Don't give the impression that you are only interested in an organization because of its geographic location. ◊ Make your point that your are local if you are to the job but don’t make it the only reason you are applying for this job as other applicants may have more valid and enthusiastic reasons like; they have experience or even they are very willing to succeed in this area.
	Don't give the impression you are only interested in salary; don't ask about salary and benefits issues until the subject is brought up by your interviewer. ◊ Waiting till this subject comes up will make you seem like you are really interested in the job and not just the money.
	Don't act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment. ◊ I think that if I was an employer, I wouldn’t take just anyone with a need for a job as if a better jobs comes around then I’d think they would leave as soon as possible.
	Don't be unprepared for typical interview questions. You may not be asked all of them in every interview, but being unprepared will not help you. ◊ If you can’t answer the type of questions in every interview, why would they hit you with more complex or relevant question to the job you are applying for?
	Don't go to extremes with your posture; don't slouch, and don't sit rigidly on the edge of your chair. ◊ Showing you are comfortable and not on the edge show the interviewer that you are not a stressful person and can be professional in any situation.
	Don't assume that a female interviewer is "Mrs." or "Miss." Address her as "Ms." unless told otherwise. (If she has a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree or medical degree, use "Dr. [lastname]" just as you would with a male interviewer. Marital status of anyone, male or female, is irrelevant to the purpose of the interview. ◊ Asking the interviewer how to address them shows care and respect for the interviewer. This will not go un-noticed by them.
	Don't chew gum or smell like smoke. ◊ If you smell like smoke you could come across as someone who will go for a cheeky cig break and this could impacted on their decision to hire you. Also chewing gum in the interview could reflect your lack of interest for the job.
	This shouldn't have to be said: Don't bite your fingernails. Don't touch your face or hair or adjust your clothing. ◊ The only time you should touch your hair in the interview is to move it out of your face. Also biting you fingernail or lip is a big sign of nerves and will be noticed quickly.
	Don't allow your cell phone to sound during the interview. (If it does, apologize quickly and ignore it.) Don't take a cell phone call. Don't look at a text message. ◊ If you are going to leave you phone on during an interview and it goes off, they could think that you will do this during work so this could make you seem like an applicate not worth considering.
	Don't take your parents, your pet (an assistance animal is not a pet in this circumstance), spouse, fiancé, friends or enemies to an interview. If you are not grown up and independent enough to attend an interview alone, you're insufficiently grown up and independent for a job. (They can certainly visit your new city, at their own expense, but cannot attend your interview.) ◊ Bringing other people to your interview may make you seem like you cannot stand on your own two feet and may bad impact their view to consider you for the job.

Book	Author	Illustrator
Macavity	T. S. Eliot	Arthur Robins
Tom’s Sunflower	Hilary Robinson	Mandy Stanley
Too Many Toys	Heidi Deedman	Unknown
Help a Hamster	Hilary Robinson	Mandy Stanley

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How to act in an interview?