Do’s and Don’ts During and Interview — for Jobseekers

You got the interview? Congratulations, you made a great first impression and they already like you!

You might be thinking, “isn’t the interview my first impression? How do they already like me?”.

A lot of people tend to worry if they’ll be liked or if their qualifications would be good enough and then the nervousness takes over. To help calm some nerves before going into an interview and putting this into perspective, the fact that the employer took their time out to review your resume/cover letter, called you, and set up an interview to meet with you, is already a sign they like you. The next part is maintaining that first impression and letting yourself shine, which leads me right into my first point of things to DO during an interview.

1. Show off your personality

There’s nothing more refreshing than seeing someone’s unique personality. You can showcase your personality throughout the interview while maintaining professionalism and going over the appropriate qualifications. You can even try to use your personality to connect with the interviewer in some way. It will help keep the interview more engaging and create a lasting impression.

There are certain positions where your qualifications aren’t necessarily the most important aspect of the job. It’s your personality and the attitude you bring along with it. This may help the interviewer feel that you would be an enjoyable person to have in the office or on the team. Certain technical skills can always be trained.

As someone who has interviewed hundreds of people, I would rather invest more time and hire someone with fewer qualifications and better personality/attitude as opposed to someone with all the qualifications in the world but no personality and a bad attitude.

2. Be confident

Be confident in yourself and what you bring to the table. Remember, you’ve already impressed them. When you walk in, offer a pleasant smile and a firm handshake, and slay the interviewer’s questions about your qualifications with confidence.

If you don’t know how to quite answer a question, don’t let your confidence run low. The execution is important. You can ask further questions to help you with your answer. Don’t be afraid to say how you feel, even if you don’t have the perfect answer.

Sometimes nervousness is inevitable. As an interviewer, we notice and understand. We can move beyond and look past the nervousness. So, don’t worry too much and try to be as confident as possible. Let the passion in what you do shine! We love hearing the passion in your voice, it’ll go a long way.

3. Be punctual

In most cases, being late is an automatic no. Make sure to look up the address the day before and plan your route. If you plan on being early (which, you should), my rule is to add an extra 15 minutes to that time. It’s better to be too early than late.

If you end up arriving more than 10 minutes early, walk around the area to clear your mind. Going in too early may be seen as an intrusion for those who aren’t ready to receive you yet.

4. Do your research

It’s important to make sure you are well prepared for the interview. This can make or break it. You should know the name of the company you’re applying to and what the position entails. Come prepared with as much information about the company and industry as possible.

Taking the time out to research the organization will benefit you in so many ways. Not only will you get a better understanding of what they are looking for, but it will help you gear how to showcase your credentials and present them to fit the needs of the company. Make sure to share the knowledge you have gained throughout the interview when the opportunity presents itself. All of this will show the interviewer that you are interested in the position and the company.

5. Prepare questions

Preparing questions that pertain to the company and position will show the interviewer you are serious about the position.

You should show that you’re keen to find out how the company functions, who you’ll be working alongside, what will be expected of you and what the company culture is like, to name a few things.

A few questions to consider asking are: “what’s your favourite thing about working here? What is the company culture like? What are the next steps?”

These questions show the interviewer you are interesting the position.

6. Follow up

Following up after an interview is very important as it gives you another chance to show your genuine enthusiasm for the role. You can send a follow-up email or even a brief phone call to thank the interviewer for their time and to express your interest in the company.

If you are sending an email, adding something personal that stuck out to you during the interview will add some uniqueness to your application as well.

While following the above will help increase your chances of landing the job, there are still things you can do that will hinder your success during the interview. Below is a list of things you should not do during an interview.

1. Don’t ask about the pay

Seems obvious, right? You would be surprised how many people ask about the pay during the interview and even before the interview. Asking about the pay during the first initial phone call or at the beginning of the interview is an automatic no.

If you bring up the pay during the interview (or before), the employer will think you aren’t passionate about work, but instead that your basic motive of working is money. It will show that you have no intertest in the company or the position itself. This does not leave a good impression for the employer.

Being a good fit is one of the most important things about a job. You spend a huge chunk of your time at work, so it’s important that you like what you’re doing and like going into work.

While the company and position need to be a right fit, its understandable that the pay is important as well. My advice is, be patient. Many people jump the gun and ask about the pay before the interview, that way they know if it’s worth coming in or not. I would suggest being patient and look at it in a different light. There’s a lot of things to consider. You never know what the position and company culture will be until you go into the interview. It could also be a position with lots of potential growth along with increased income overtime. They may have other positions available that are more suitable for you, or if something comes up in the future and you make a great impression, they may give you a call back. If worse comes to worst and it’s not what you’re expecting, then at least its an experience to practice your interviewing skills.

If the employer feels that you would be a good fit, they will bring up the pay themselves. That’s when you can discuss pay and what you are looking for. If you have the right attitude and qualifications, it’s possible that the pay can be negotiated.

2. Don’t interrupt

Even if you know what the interviewer is about to say, wait until they finish to respond. If you don’t have time to fully listen, neither will the interviewer.

While it’s good to be a good talker, it’s also very important to be a good listener. It will show the interviewer that you have strong interpersonal skills, that you’re respectful and courteous.

3. Don’t apply to every job

I have had countless people tell me they applied to a bunch of different jobs. This will make the employer feel that you are just desperate for a job and won’t last. Do not apply for positions you are not interested in. It’s not only a waste of your time, but the employers too. It takes time to prepare for an interview and takes out time in the day to conduct them. Only apply for positions you are interested in.

If you applied for a sales position but answer the ultimate career goal question by saying you want to be a fashion designer, you’ll ruin your chances of being hired.

*Tip: When answering this question, make it relevant to the position you are interviewing for.

4. Don’t talk badly about other companies

If you left your previous job because you hated your manager, don’t advertise that to the interviewer. If you are asked why you left, a more professional response is saying, “the management style wasn’t the right fit for what I’m looking for”.

If you are talking badly about other companies and the employees, it will give off the impression that you will do the same with them when you are out.

5. Don’t swear

Under no circumstances should you swear during an interview. It’s very unprofessional and disrespectful to swear during an interview. It will give the interviewer the wrong impression. If you are in a situation where the interview does, be the professional one and just don’t do it.

6. Don’t be late

I can’t stress this enough, plan ahead! If you walk in late, it will leave a very bad impression. It will take a lot during the interview to change the interviewer’s mind about hiring you. If you come in late for an interview, the interviewer will think if hired, you will do the same coming into work.

Arriving late may also shorten your interview time, especially if other interviews are scheduled throughout the day. If you do end up running late, it’s very important to notify the person you’re interviewing with. They will appreciate and respect you for calling in for the heads up.

If you take these do’s and don’ts into consideration before going into an interview, it’ll help create a lasting impression and hopefully land you the job you deserve!