According to leading companies, there are eight key areas in interviewing success. You can fail at an interview if you mishandle just one area.
- 1. Do wear appropriate clothes. You can never go wrong by wearing a perfect cloth to an interview.
- 2. Do be well groomed. Don’t overlook the obvious things like having clean hair, clothes, and fingernails for the interview.
- 3. Do give a firm handshake. You’ll have to shake hands twice in most interviews: first, before you sit down, and second, when you leave the interview. Limp handshakes turn most people off.
- 4. Do smile and show a sense of humor. Interviewers are looking for people who would be nice to work with, so don’t be so somber that you don’t smile. In fact, research shows that people who smile at interviews are perceived as more intelligent. So, smile!
- 5. Do be enthusiastic. Employers say they are “turned off” by lifeless, unenthusiastic job hunters who show no special interest in that company. The best way to show some enthusiasm for the employer’s operation is to find out about the business beforehand.