Friday, September 16, 2011

Tips for a Successful Interview

Hi!  My name is Lindsay Hart and I am an business education teacher for a small middle school.  This is my fifth year teaching.  Currently I am pursuing a masters degree in business education.  One of the classes I am taking is ABED 6107, Instructional Strategies for Technology, taught by Dr. Sunil Hazari.  For this class, I am required to create a blog about a business education topic.  I have chosen to blog about business etiquette.  I feel this subject is very important for acquiring and keeping the job you want. 


When we are little, we all imagine of growing up and landing our dream job.  Many of us succeed in doing this.  However, in order to land our dream job, we must first go through an interview process.  Interviews can make us all very nervous, especially if it's our first one.  For this reason, I have devised a list of tips to help improve your interview outcome and make sure that you are following all of the business etiquette rules.



1.  Make sure you are on time.  Punctuality shows responsibility, consideration, strong work ethic, and organization skills. Being late tells the interviewer you are disorganized, a procrastinator, not dependable, or maybe lazy.

2.  Turn off all electronics.  This includes your cell phone!  You want to give your interviewer your undivided attention.  This lets them know that you are serious about the interview and the possible position.

3.  Extend a firm handshake.  Nobody likes a limp handshake!  Try practicing your handshake with friends or family to make sure you are ready.

4.  Stand up straight, shoulders back, and your head up!  Always have good posture.  Good posture portrays confidence, intelligence, and energy.  When you slouch, it sends the message that you are lazy, tired, and maybe depressed. These qualities will not help you in the job market.

5.  After the interview, it is imperative that you send a thank you letter.  Thank the interviewer for their time and tell them you hope to hear from them soon.

Extend a firm handshake.



If your interview is during a meal, be sure to use those table manners your folks taught you!  Elbows off the table, don't smack your food, and never tuck your napkin into your shirt; put your napkin in your lap.  The interviewer may have asked you to interview during a meal to see how you behave in public and to observe your table manners.  Some jobs require you to entertain clients, attend conventions, and go to parties.  Your possible future boss will want to make sure you can handle yourself in these situations.

Hope these little interview etiquette tips can help you on your future job interviews!  Good luck!

5 comments:

  1. I agree with your point #2 Lindsay. In today's connected world, we seem to be so dependent on technology that even a few minutes without the smartphone seems difficult to imagine. But it is important to remember that when you are in conference, the other person's time is equally (if not more) important than your device beeping or buzzing thereby diverting your attention. So using proper "electronic etiquette" is always a good idea.

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  2. Lindsay, this is a great posting about the many things individuals overlook when approaching the interview process. I took an ABED class in my undergraduate which was all about creating an effective resume as well as approaching an interview in the correct way. Point #5 is definitely something most people do not think about doing. By sending a thank you letter, I believe it really sets you apart from the other applicants. When I was interviewed for my job (although informal), I was there on time with no electronic interruptions, dressed professionally, and was prepared with a full-on resume which was up-to-date and in order. Once I got my job, I go through the applications and resumes we get each week and I realize how unprofessional, unprepared, and uneducated these people are about resumes. Once again, all your points are great Lindsay, more people need to know about the common sense interview process.

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  3. Linsday,

    This is a good informative post. As a retail manager, I saw many people that showed up for interviews poorly dressed. Some individuals wore tank-tops, cut-off jeans, flip flops...it was incredible! First impressions are one of the most important fundamentals of any interview. To create a good forst impression, one must be dressed for the occasion. When you meet someone for the first time, you judge with your eyes. The same thing happens with interviewers. They judge initially by sight. It is very important to dress appropriatly and to create an air of professionalism, i.e. by doing the steps you list in your post.

    Great job Lindsay!

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  4. Hi Lindsay - I like the font with Tips for a successful interview. Can you tell me the name?

    I am very involved with my son in his Boy Scout Troop. There are 6 ranks for advancement to get the Eagle rank. In order to move to the next rank the scout must be reviewed by a board of adult leaders.

    This review is similiar to an interview. In fact we teach our boys that this is preparing them for interviews. I am going to have my son read your tips and watch the video. I hope it helps! Thanks for starting the blog.

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  5. Hey Lindsay! I really enjoyed reading your blog and feel that the points you made are great points. Interviewing is something that everyone will have to go through in their lives and it is a good idea to learn great interviewing skills at a young age. The 5 tips you gave on interviewing are great tips that can be useful to anyone. No matter if this is your first interview or your fiftith interview, these tips can be helpful. Great job!

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