12 rules for a job interview

In any selection process that includes a job interview, candidates have a particular fear that the conversation with the human resources staff is where they will win or lose the position they’re applying for. It’s a major turning point in every selection process and a key piece in bringing a new person onto the team.

In another post we’ll talk about how to face a job interview, and we’ll even put together a series of articles to help you take part in one. For now, here are a few rules you absolutely have to follow before a job interview.

Like all advice, they don’t have to be followed to the letter, but they are worth thinking about, along with how to apply them effectively when you’re looking for work.

1. Be punctual. Don’t allow yourself to be late. Image is vital, and you should be the one waiting, not them waiting for you.
2. Try to hide your nerves, or leave them at the door. Everyone is aware of how the candidate feels, but nerves make the interview and its results worse. They don’t help you, so try to be as relaxed as you can.
3. Shake hands firmly at the start of the interview, especially if they offer. While keeping a proper distance, be open and outgoing.
4. Along the same lines, call the interviewer by their name. Don’t be overly familiar, but treat them as an equal, by name and with respect.
5. Watch your posture in the chair. Sit down when you’re asked to, don’t perch on the edge of the seat or slump back, and stay alert. This is the non-verbal language that speaks for you, so take care of it.
6. Language is essential. Filler words won’t do you any good, and neither will fancy vocabulary. Answer and talk naturally, giving detail in your replies to the questions.
7. Body language and gestures can say things your answers don’t. Be careful not to come across as confused, fragile, weak or insecure.
8. First listen carefully to the question, think, and answer clearly and simply.
9. Don’t speak badly of others: not your company, your colleagues or your former bosses. You never know whether they’ll ask for references or whether they know each other.
10. At the end of the interview, sum up your strengths.
11. Don’t let questions intimidate or discriminate against you. Those are not permitted techniques and can be reported.
12. And don’t forget to prepare for the interview, research the company and rehearse your answers.

Featured image: N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.