Hi there! Welcome to the second part of this series about basic interview tips. As I described in the first article I think that sometimes people gloss over the basics because they already know them. I can tell you from experience that many people either don’t or they forget them. If you’re just joining us the first part can be read here:
Here are tips 4 – 6:
4. Dress the Part!
This is something that people surprisingly mess up all of the time. There are many people that give all sorts of advice about dressing to match the people in the office and so on. Here is the deal. WEAR A SUIT! The reason that you dress up for an interview is not to look impressive. It is a sign of respect. To this day I have never heard of someone losing out on a job because they were overdressed.
If you are in a position where you absolutely can’t wear a suit - like it would draw attention to your current employer. Call the interviewer beforehand and ask for permission to wear your regular work attire. When you do this you are still accomplishing your goal. Giving them respect and acknowledging proper protocol.
5. Know Where the Interview Is!
Back in the old days when people prepared for an interview they would pull out a map and drive to the interview the night before to make sure that they could get there on time. Nowadays in our sophisticated world of GPS we make the assumption that our smartphones will magically get us where we need to be on time.
I’d like to introduce you to Finagle’s Law. Finagle’s law states “Anything that can go wrong, will—at the worst possible moment.” Being late is a cardinal sin in a job search. Calling to tell them that you are running late can minimize the damage but you will look bad. The best bet is to use your GPS to drive to the interview site the night before and call it good.
6. Send a Thank You Note
We have evolved into a digital age where manners are secondary. Emily Post would be horrified with how we handle our affairs. In this day and age it is customary to send a thank you email that instantaneously gets delivered to the interviewer in a generic and antiseptic manner. Sending an actual letter in the mail – using handwriting and a stamp – will set you apart. An added bonus is that the mail takes so long that it will serve as a positive reminder of your awesome interview a couple of days later when they are getting ready to make a decision. However, please remember that you need to send both the email and the letter. Unfortunately, because virtually no-one else uses the mail anymore you will look bad if you don’t send an immediate email too.
Happy interviewing out there!!
If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below or to email me at sthompson@insurance-csg.com
Please check out some of my other articles below:
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