written by Kenny Hanson, CSP |  

In today’s economy it is hard enough to get an interview, so when you have that opportunity you want to cash in on it. Just everything in life, in order to excel at something, you practice and study it – Interviewing is no different. Unfortunately, there are too many people who feel that they can just walk in and impress everyone they encounter. I have trained hundreds of clients on how to interview and only 2 of them thought that was their weak point. Often times I hear the phrase, “Every job I have ever interviewed for, I have gotten”. This may be true, but times are much different now. For those of you that have had only 3 or 4 jobs in your life, it may be ly you have gotten every job you have interviewed for. However, times have changed and you are competing against hundreds of other qualified candidates.

Hiring managers and companies now have the ability to be more selective than ever. The interview is a place where you can make the impression that will give you a clear advantage over your competition. Below is a list of DO’s and DON’TS. Some of these may seem common sense, but most candidates do not even follow the most basic rules.

DO research, study and learn everything you can about the individuals and company you are interviewing with.

DO review potential interview questions (there is a section of my blog that lists different interview questions) and practice answering them.

DO dress conservatively

DO bring a few extra copies of your resume with you

DO send a thank you note after the interview is over

DO try to find a commonality between yourself and the interviewer and discuss that

DO let your personality come out

DO take a notepad and pen with you to take notes

DO take a list of references and phone numbers with you

DO ask a few business related questions at the end of the interview

DO follow-up with the interviewer if you do not hear back from them within a week of the interview

DON’T be late, or too early

DON’T ask questions that revolve around money or benefits

DON’T wear perfume, cologne or any flashy jewelry

DON’T talk negatively about your former employer

DON’T smoke before the interview or chew gum during the interview

DON’T get too comfortable during the interview and tell the person your life story (This happens in 1 of every 3 interviews)

DON'T...