Interview Do's and Don'ts

General Interview DO’s and Don’ts 

Decisions can be formed from the very first visual contact with the interviewee. The rest of the interview will be used to confirm or counter this initial impression.

If you create a positive impression from the outset, it can dictate the whole nature and direction of the interview

DOs

·     DO shake hands firmly with your interviewer (Don’t break their wrist) and always look the interviewer in the eye

·     DO smile; remember the interviewer will make decisions from the very first interaction. A smile conveys that you are relaxed, approachable and it will set the tone of the meeting (remember, a smile doesn't mean a fixed grin throughout the interview, this will tend to imply that you’re slightly odd)

·     DO be a good listener as well as a good talker. Over eager or nervous candidates will tend to jump in or interrupt the interviewer. This is natural, but it will agitate the interviewer and implies that you’re not listening or showing respect. Always listen carefully and wait for the interviewer to finish their sentence(s). This is very important.

·     DO turn up well presented. The general rule of thumb is, smart dark suit, skirt or trousers. Shirts, blouses etc should be as plain as possible (for the boys, white or blue always seems to work best). Wear a tie with a suit and try to leave the cartoon ones in the draw! Shoes should be black, sensible and polished. Also for the boys, a shave is a must, facial hair might look good in the bar or on the beach, but in an interview clean shaven is your best option.

DON’TS

·     DON’T ‘over answer’ questions. Be as concise as possible and don’t keep talking if you can’t answer the question

·     DON’T try to answer questions if you don’t know the answer. The response “I don’t know” if said diplomatically, is often better than a guess. Always add that “if I was asked that question in the context of the role, I would always ask someone for help”. Remember, the interviewer is keen to see how you answer the question, as much as what you answer it with. Often people will get questions wrong, but if the interviewer can see your way of thinking, then credit can still be gained

·     DON’T enquire about salary, holidays, bonuses etc at the initial interview. Talking about salary and  holiday etc will imply that your are unfocussed and dwelling on the wrong issues.

(source : Robert Walters Recruitment .co.uk)