1. Do Your Research
Once you receive an offer to attend a job interview, it's time to get researching! The truth is - interviewers can tell if you've made an effort to prepare for the interview or not, and it's best not to get off on the wrong foot!
It's important to research the company you're interviewing for as much as possible. Not only will this help you ask and questions more confidently, but it will also show your enthusiasm and dedication for the role.
Try finding out the following:
- When did the company start? Who are the CEOs?
- Why do they do what they do?
- Who is your interviewer and what is their name?
- What are their values?
- What previous notable work have they carried out?
- Where is your interview? (so you can arrive on time!)
There are many websites and forums online such as Glassdoor which will allow you to see the previous interview experiences of successful and unsuccessful employees. Remember to take them with a pinch of salt, though - everyone's interview experiences are different! And who knows, they may not have had good job interview etiquette.
2. Arrive on Time
Being late is something you really do not want to do on your first day, let alone your first interview! If you're on time to your interview - or even better, slightly early - you are immediately giving off a good impression to your interviewer and showing that you have a good idea of interview etiquette.
If you're late to your job interview, your interviewer may think that you have poor time management and perceive you as disorganised or untrustworthy. As we all know, these are not desirable traits of a potential employee!
Always ensure that you know where your interview is, what time your interview is and how to get to your interview location. A good tip is to always get to your job interview 15 minutes earlier than your interview time to avoid lateness or traffic hold-ups.
3. Use Confident Body Language
The old saying 'fake it until you make it' truly does work - sometimes! It's natural to feel nervous about entering a job interview - after all, it is a test of your competency and skills. There's pressure involved, so you're inevitably going to feel anxious about your performance, but that ultimately shows that you care about the position you're applying for.
It's always important to appear confident in a job interview, despite what you may be feeling inside. Follow these simple tips and your job interviewer will be impressed by your confidence:
- Make regular eye contact
- Smile!
- Introduce yourself with a firm and definitive handshake
- Check your posture - keep your shoulders down and chin up (it actually helps you to feel confident!)
- Use your hands expressively while talking
4. Be Honest
Honesty goes a long way in interview settings. When applying for a job, it's normal to see a job description or 'experience required' section and assume that you need all of the characteristics listed. Most of the time, these are just guidelines for the employer to ensure that the relevant people apply.
It may be tempting to flout your skills and experience, but it won't get you very far. Honesty is always the best policy in job interview settings - it will help the interviewer get a sense of your experience and what you're willing to learn. Also, if you're lying about your experience in a job interview, then you're probably not the best fit for the role anyway!
Honesty will always be appreciated by interviewers, but just make sure you don't swing the other way and undersell yourself.
5. Show Respect to Your Interviewer
Interviews are sometimes gruelling processes - for the interviewer and interviewee. They take time, effort and preparation on both sides, so it's always best to show respect for the time and expertise of your interviewer.
Most of these suggestions are common sense (such as switching your phone onto do not disturb and arriving on time), but you could take this a step further by thanking the interviewer for their time sincerely, or sending a follow-up email after your interviewer to express your thanks for the opportunity.
