**Interview Behaviour Tips** by Ida Majaw

If any of us are planning to attend an interview,here are some tips that may help ;);)

Clothing, body language and manners count big time for interviews. After all, interviewers are regular people like the rest of us, easily impressed by good behavior and just as easily offended by inappropriate behavior.

Below are tips on how to act before, during and after interview, to avoid offending interviewers and increase your chances of landing a job.

Before Interviews

• Do our homework: Research the company before we interview, as our interviewer will likely ask what us know about the company and why we want to work there. It also helps us to formulate questions about the company, and interviewers typically expect us to have such questions.

• With a friend, relative or by ourself, practice answering the other common questions interviewers ask.

• Neatly arrange and carry the papers and work samples in a nice briefcase or portfolio. This makes us look organized and professional.

• Practice good hygiene, comb or brush our hair, and dress appropriately. It shows professionalism and respect.

• Dress conservatively and avoid bright, flashy colors. If a male, wear a business suit and tie (or at least a blazer with a pressed dress shirt and slacks), and polished dress shoes. Get a professional haircut or trim. If a female, wear a business suit (or at least a dress blouse and long skirt or pants), with polished, low- to medium- heeled dress shoes and minimum jewelry. Style our hair tastefully.

• For some of us younger folks, facial jewelry, paganish attire, purple-streaked and liver-colored lipstick may be cool for hanging out in espresso cafés and music stores, but they are not yet acceptable for interviewing in most corporate environments.

• While it not be in our country or origin, body odor is offensive in most of the countries. Wear underarm deodorant when interviewing.

• Don’t wear strong perfume or cologne. Fragrance is a matter of personal preference and our interviewer might not like our choice. It’s best to have no smell at all. A few minutes before the interview, a little breath spray might not hurt, but don’t wreak of it or use it during the interview.

• Unless otherwise instructed (e.g., to fill out a job application), arrive about ten minutes early for the interview. This shows that we are eager and punctual. But don’t’ be too early, as it might be an inconvenience for our interviewers. Definitely don’t be late.....

• Turn off our cell phone, pager and other devices that might interrupt your interview.

During Interviews 

• Smile, offer a handshake immediately, introduce yourself, and say something like, “I’m pleased to meet you.” or “I’ve been looking forward to talking with you.” Be sincere, not phony or cool, and put the homeboy greetings and another contemporary coolness on a back burner. While “Dude? Wassup?” might be cool among our young friends, it’s likely not among corporate interviewers. Take the polite, conservative route. 

• Read the mood. If the interviewer is formal, then we probably should be, too. If the interviewer is casual, then follow along while remaining courteous and professional. In either case, try to appear to be relaxed, but not too relaxed.

• Wait to be told to take a seat or ask if may, then say thank you. This shows good manners. 

• If it’s possible, bring the chair closer to the interviewer’s desk, like we’re ready to dive right in. This shows confidence. But don’t invade the interviewer’s personal space.  

• Sit with good posture. If   we don’t know what to do with ourhands, keep them folded in our lap. This is another indication of good manners. Avoid crossing our arms over our chest, as it subliminally demonstrates a closed mind to some. 

• Even formally- trained interviewers are regular people like us, so they’ll expect us to be a little nervous while sitting in the hot seat. Still, try to avoid obvious signs like fidgeting.  

• Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Avoid staring or we might make the interviewer uncomfortable, but don’t look away too often either. To some, failure to maintain a comfortable level of eye contact indicates that we are lying, reaching for answers or lacking confidence. 

• Don’t eat, drink, chew gum or smoke, or even ask if it’s ok. But if the interviewer offers coffee or other beverage, it’s ok to accept. It’s probably better to say no thanks to snacks (unless you are at an interview meal), so you don’t accidentally drop crumbs in our lap, be forced to talk with our mouth full, and all that other stuff our mom told us not to do with our food. 

• Typically, we’ll negotiate salary, benefits, perks and such in a follow-up interview. Regardless, don’t bring it up until it asked, yet be ready to discuss it an anytime. Benefit and perks are usually a package deal, but salary isn’t. There are lots of salary surveys on the Internet we can research to have a figure in mind. 

     After Interviews

• Be prepared to attend two or three interviews at the same company. If we’re called back for another interview, it means that they’re interested in us. But they’re also narrowing the competition, so keep up the good work!

• If we don’t hear from ourinterviewers in about a week or 24 hours or so after they said we’d hear from them, it’s okay to call or send letters of inquiry, asking about our candidate status. One round of calls or letters is sufficient. Don’t pester, as the squeaky wheel doesn’t always get the oil in this case. If they’re interested in us , they’ll contact us without prodding, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure our candidacy didn’t fall through the corporate cracks. It also shows that we really want the job and are eager to start. If, after we prod them a tad, we still don’t hear back from them, write them off and concentrate on the next job interview.

Cheers & All The Very Best !!!!