Welcome to Part 2 of our article on the Nine Important Things to do Before an Interview.
6. Dress Appropriately
Men should wear a nice pair of ironed slacks and an ironed shirt with a tie. The pants should be black or dark blue with a white or light colored shirt. The tie should be simple, no loud colors or cartoon characters. While this would probably make you memorable it is not the impression you want to leave with the hiring manager. It is also good to wear a suit jacket if you have one. This is a must if your job requires you wear one for work. If you wear cologne you should use very little or, preferably, none at all.
Women should wear a nice pair of dress pants, or a skirt or dress. It is important that you choose clothing without loud colors or loud prints. You should also not wear low cut tops or very short skirts or dresses. Shoes should not be too high heeled. A minimum amount of make-up and very little perfume, or no perfume at all, is also a good bet.
7. Practice your handshake.
A nice firm handshake is important to a first impression, after what you wear, the handshake is second impression you will make on your interviewer. It should not be too tight, nor should you pump your arm like you are trying to rip the interviewers arm off. Neither should it be viewed as a test of strength. You also want to stay away from the “limp fish” handshake or the demur handshake where it looks like you want your ring kissed. It should be firm and you should look the person in the eye while you are shaking hands.
8. Cover up tattoos and take out piercings.
Tattoos and piercings are more common today than ever but tattoos are best covered up and piercings taken out for the interview. This does not mean you will have to keep tattoos covered or piercings out for the actual job. Some companies, especially where you have a position that does not put you in contact with customers, will allow you to have piercings or show tattoos. This will be a question for the person who is interviewing you. It is important to think about whether you will take a job that will require you to remove your piercings and keep your tattoos covered before you go on any interviews. If you are willing to keep your tattoos covered and remove your piercings then there is no need to question the company policy on this, which could increases your chances of being offered the job.
9. A few things to remember at your interview
1. Turn off your cell phone and/or pager
2. Have paper and a pen to write down the names of anyone you meet during your interview.
3. Make sure you have the correct address of where your interview is taking place.
4. Leave enough time for travel so that you arrive a little early.
5. Have the correct pronunciation of the name of your interviewer.
6. Bring an extra resume, cover letter and resume card.
7. Have extra time open for the interview in the event it runs long.
8. Bring a reference list if you do not have them on your resume and the interviewer has not requested them previously.
9. If you are even going to be a few minutes late, call the interviewer.
10. Have “Thank You” notes ready to send out to everyone involved in the interview. (These should all include a personal note)
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