Check your appearance. Arrive early enough to slip into a restroom and check your grooming. Your would be surprised how many people go into the interview with wind-blown hair or smudged lipstick on their teeth. Use a breath mint just to be on the safe side, but do not spray on perfume, cologne, or hair spray right before the interview.
Use appropriate waiting-room behavior. Try to relax as you wait for the interview to begin. Occupy yourself with something businesslike. Review your notes on questions you might like to ask or key skills you want to present. The waiting room may have publications from the organization itself that you might want to look through as well.
Be prepared if the interviewer is late. In fact, hope that it happens. If you arrived promptly but have to wait past the appointed time, that puts the interviewer in a "Gee, I'm sorry, I owe you one" frame of mind. If the interviewer is 15 minutes late, approach the office manager or administrative assistant and politely ask when the interviewer will be free. If you have to wait more than 25 minutes beyond the scheduled time, you may want to ask to reschedule the interview. Set up a new time and accept any apology with a smile. When you do come back for your interview, the interviewer should be even more receptive.
Be particular about your dress and appearance. How you dress and groom can create a big impression (negative or positive), but determining the correct approach can be difficult. To avoid the complexity, follow this simple rule: Dress and groom like the interviewer is likely to be dressed and groomed, but just a little better.
Give a firm handshake and maintain good eye contact. If the employer offers his or her hand, give a firm (but not too firm) handshake and smile. Avoid staring, but do look at the interviewer when either of you is speaking. This tells the employer that you are listening closely and have good social skills.
Act interested and alert. When you are sitting, learn slightly forward in your chair and keep your head up, looking directly at the interviewer.
Eliminate annoying behaviors. Try to eliminate any distracting movements or mannerisms. Avoid tapping your feet or playing with your hair. Listen to yourself and you may notice that you say "aaahhh" or "ummmmm" frequently or use other repetitive words or phrases that you need to avoid. Ask friends or family for help pinpointing these behaviors.
Pay attention to your voice. If you are naturally soft-spoken, work on speaking louder. Listen to news announcers and other professional who are good models for volume, speed, and voice tone. If you have a deep or monotone voice, try to vary your intonation - you do not want to put your interviewer to sleep.
Use the interviewer's formal name as often as possible. Do this particularly in the early part of the interview and again when you are ending. Do not call the interviewer aby his or her first name unless the interviewer asks you to.
Play the chitchat game for awhile. Interviewers often comment on the weather, ask if you had trouble getting there, or make some other common opening. These informal openings are standard measures of your social skills. Be friendly and make a few appropriate comments.
Ask some opening questions. When the chitchat is over, be prepared to guide the interview in the direction you wish to go. The sections "Use Control Statements to Your Advantage" will show you how.
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