Practicing Inteview Etiquette
“There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it.”
- Dale Carnegie (1888 - 1955) American Educator
Delivery of an answer is just as important as its content. To get the most out of your preparation, practice improving your body language, speech, and confidence. While you recite answers out loud or practice with a friend, treat the situation as the actual interview. By now I’m sure you’ll know how to dressed well, have turned off your phone, and plan on arriving on time. Here are a few tips on improving your soft skills to dramatically increase your chances of landing an offer.
Body Language
- Shake hands with your interviewer when you are introduced, firmly, but politely.
- Be aware of your body language - make eye contact and smile. If there is more than one interviewer make sure you address each equally.
- Don’t fidget. Practice the placement of your hands and feet beforehand. Don’t cross your hands or feet.
- Make eye contact. Experts suggest maintaining eye contact for 20 seconds at a time. During breaks focus on the interviewers mouth or table instead. Prolonged eye contact is meant for intimidation. Don’t look at the ceiling, out the window, or floor.
- Lean slightly inwards when listening. This demonstrates you’re interested in what the interviewer is asking.
- Focus on poise. Your posture needs to be comfortable, yet
- Using hand motions while delivering an answer can be effective and make you look interesting. Just be sure not to over do it.
- Remember to smile. This will demonstrate your interest and build a report with the interviewer.
Speech
- Boring candidates don’t change their inflections. Taping your self or having a friend judge your performance will determine if you need to improve on this skill.
- Pace yourself. “Fast-talkers” get into trouble because they forget to transition. Plus, this makes the interviewers ability to absorb and interpret your responses more difficult.
- Watch out for the “ums, shs, wells, sort ofs, and supposedlys”. You don’t have to be speaking all the time or thinking extremely quickly.
- Listen carefully to questions you are asked. If you are unclear about anything ask for clarification.
- Be aware of your proximity to the interviewer. Don’t yell or speak too softly. Also, be aware of your tone as you increase of decrease your voice levels.
- Overly scripted answers mess with your natural rhythm. Speak clearly and calmly, even if you forget or overlook something you practiced.
Confidence
- Be natural and relaxed, not rehearsed and mechanical.
- Never get aggravated or loose your calm, cool demeanor. Practice conditioning yourself by understanding the other person’s viewpoint and staying positive.
- Take time to think before you answer a question. Candidates can be over-prepped and anxious. As a result they have a tendency to appear over-eager and hasty in their delivery.
- Practice. Know what is on your CV everything (especially interests and languages) on it is fair game and will be grilled.
- Don’t waffle when there is a question you don’t know the answer to. Admitting will allow the interviewer to clarify or move on. When you know the answer give examples to support your conviction.
- Be honest. Resist the temptation to exaggerate (too wildly) or boast. Back up your answers with real examples when possible.
- There is a thin line between self-confidence and arrogance.
- Remember - your interview begins as soon as you walk through the door of the building, be polite to everyone you meet.
- The way you structure your answers matter. Make sure they are clear and concise. Avoid phrases like “I think” and speaking as if everything is an absolute truth.
- Lead in with an introduction to your answer. This gives a little insight in to your brilliant thought process and keeps the interviewer engaged.
At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for their time and request a business card. Send out a thank you note before 8pm of the same day. While the note will most likely not make or break your candidacy. It’s a nice gesture.
Final Note: I have focused several entries preparation. There is a maximum amount before the marginal improvement approaches zero. Relax before your interview and trust in your abilities.
