5 Things To Do in Every Interview

There are best practices for just about everything, so let’s talk about five things that you should do in every interview. Now, before you go into any interview you need to be prepared. So, if you need some tips on how to prepare for an interview check out my video 10 Things to Help You Prepare for an Interview for the ten things that I recommend you do before the interview, to set you up for success. But, for now, let’s talk about five things to do in the interview itself, so you can give yourself the best shot of getting the job.

Number one: Be early, but not too early. You absolutely do not want to be late. That is a big part of your first impression and you want to come calm, cool, and collected. Most people are a little bit nervous before going into an interview and if you are running late that’s going to make it even worse. I recommend you get to the interview at least 10 to 15 minutes early. You want to give yourself enough time to find parking, figure out the lay of the land, where to check in, refresh on who you are asking for, and so you have a minute to collect your thoughts once you have checked in, before you jump into the interview. So, be early but not too early. You don’t want to show up half an hour early for an interview because that can also be a sign that you are disrespectful of their time or you really didn’t plan appropriately. I think 10 to 15 minutes is a great rule of thumb. If you’re coming from far away or you want to make sure that you’re not late because of traffic and you get there a half an hour early, hang out in your car or go to a coffee shop nearby. Do something to keep yourself busy, look at the company website, and then go into the reception area or to the lobby about 10 to 15 minutes before your scheduled interview. 

Number two: Be courteous to everyone you meet and interact with. Any person that you interact with from the person who opens the door for you, to a receptionist, all the way up to the CEO of the company. Every person that you meet, that you speak to, that you interact with, they matter. Whoever is actually making the decision at the end of the day, is highly likely to ask the other individuals that you are spending any kind of time with, what they think about you. They will most likely ask the receptionist if you were on time, if you were early, if you were disheveled when you came in, so keep those things in mind. Make sure you are put together, you are professional, and you are courteous throughout the entire process. From the first person you meet, to the last person. 

Number three: Look people in the eye. Looking people in the eye is a great sign of confidence first and foremost. When people look down or look around it tends to shows that they are either not sure of themselves, they are not quite sure how to answer, or they are trying to kill time, but ultimately it conveys a lack of confidence. Look people in the eye when you speak to them. Don’t feel like you need to stare at people. It is okay to glance away or look down at your resume or your notes in front of you from time to time, but in general you want to be looking at the person who is speaking to you in the eyes. Maintaining that eye contact it is going to help them feel you are more engaged, that you are involved, committed, and interested in what they have to say, but most importantly you are confident in yourself and in your ability to communicate the experience that you have and why you would be a good fit for that opportunity. 

Number four: Give a firm handshake. We have all likely met people that have stuck their hand out and it’s kind of like a limp, dead fish handshake… that is not good for anybody. Don’t feel like you need to squeeze the person’s hand to demonstrate your strength, but make sure you extend your arm, grab onto their hand and give a good firm handshake, without squeezing too hard and let go. It is just another great sign of confidence and a great way to greet someone and add on to that great first impression. 

Number five: Use people’s names. People like to hear their name. I read a book a long time ago called “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and this is one of the lessons that I took away from that book, and so many years later it has really stayed with me. Most people like to hear their name, they like to talk about themselves, they like to do anything that has to do with them, so when you meet someone for the first time, look them in the eye, shake their hand, introduce yourself, hear their name, and make a conscious effort to remember it. What I would recommend if you were going into an interview and you know in advance who you are meeting with, you should write down all of the names of the various people you are going to meet on a piece of paper. When you are going into an interview you want to have a notebook or pad of paper as well as something to write with, so you can take notes, but also so you can come in prepared with questions to ask. A great little cheat sheet or tip would be to write out the names of all the individuals that you are meeting with at the top of your paper, that way you don’t forget. If you are going into a panel interview this can be even more critical because it can be more difficult to keep track of five or six different people that you have just met for the first time. So, make sure that you jot down those names, have them top of mind, and whenever it is appropriate, add in their name to your question or statement.

So, to quickly recap on the five things that you should do in every interview. Number one: be early. Number two: be courteous to everyone you meet and interact with. Number three: Look people in the eye. Number four: Give a firm handshake. Number five: Use people’s names whenever possible.

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10 Things to Help You Prepare for an Interview:

10 Things to Help You Prepare for an Interview