There is no better way to nail your interview than to know and understand proper interview etiquette.
What you wear, how you greet, what you say – it can all affect the outcome.
Let’s look at some interviewing etiquette tips so you can feel more relaxed during the interview process.
Proper Interview Etiquette: Manners you should Follow
What You Wear: What is the Dress Code
It all begins with what you wear.
You should always dress conservative and if you do not know what the dress policy is for the company you should opt for formal business attire.
Even in a business casual or casual environment, for your interview you should wear formal business attire. Remember how you look is the first thing your interviewer will see, and your first impression can make or break you.
Read further: The complete Interview Dress Guide
Look Professional
There have been many surveys done on interview attire and several surveys have shown that you are far more likely to be hired if you dress like Michelle Obama than Pamela Anderson.
The message for women, is to avoid cleavage, clinging fabrics, and short skirts. For men you should not be showing any body part including your arms.
Be Early
If you’re on time perfect, if you’re late you’ve lost the job before you even get interviewed, and if you’re early you can leave a sound impression about reliability.
How to behave in a Job interview – how to act at an interview room?
The Handshake is Important
A. Vanderbilt, a well known psychologist, believes a handshake is as much part of your personality as how you talk and how you walk.
Your interviewer is going to make judgments based on your handshake. This means you want to have a strong handshake that shows you are confident and sure of yourself.
Watch That Non Verbal Communication
Your demeanor is going to be under the microscope from the minute you enter the interviewing room.
Your interviewer is going begin to form a picture of who you are. Don’t stare blankly, don’t play with your hair, and don’t flirt. Make eye contact with your interviewer, watch your posture, and your overall body communication.
Show Confidence
You want to come across to your interviewer(s) as being confident and competent but you do not want to look like you are bragging, and you should never lie to make yourself look more skilled than you are.
The Power of the Lasting Impression
Your first impression begins when you enter and your lasting impression ends when you walk out the door.
That is except for your interview follow-up.
Post Interview Etiquette
When the interview ends your follow up begins. Remember that lasting impression needs to extend outside the interview space.
The Thank You Etiquette: Send a Thank You Note
A thank you note is one of the most important things you can do.
It should thank them for the opportunity to interview and reconfirm how excited you are at the opportunity to work with the company.
Read more about the job interview follow up etiquette in:
Post Interview Thank You Notes: How to Follow Up after an Interview
Touch Base with Your References
It’s now that the interviewer might contact your references prior to offering you the position.
So take the time to touch base with your references so you are fresh in their mind should that call come.
Make Sure You Can be Reached
If you are easy to be reached after the interview it will make the interviewer more confident that you are a good choice.
There aren’t any strait forward workplace rules or interviewing protocol to follow, but a proper interview etiquette might make a good impression and get you the job.
In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it; they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it.
(John Ruskin)
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