Your In-Person Job Interview Will Bomb Without These 5 Important Tips

For some reason, it seems like a lot of people just aren’t interested in making their interview go as best it can. Now, I know they aren’t really looking into the mirror and saying, “How can I make this interview any more worse than I know it’s going to be?”, but not enough research, planning, or motivation is involved in the process, it’s pretty much the same thing.

Defuse the bomb and be the bomb.

As a matter of fact, your job interview done face-to-face with another human being can be especially difficult if you don’t keep the five tips that I’m about to tell you in mind. Are you ready? Here you go.

#1 — Arrive Early Or Else!

Yes, I know you already know this, but it might be helpful for you if you figured out exactly how long it’s going to take you to get somewhere via Google maps, then add 25 percent drive time on top of that. And then add another ten minutes.

Sure, that may mean that it looks like you’re going to arrive at some place 30 minutes early, but I guarantee there’s going to be an accident. There’s going to be something you forgot you need to print out, last minute. Or you might just have to use the bathroom and it might not be the quick one.

Point being, you want to make sure you are absolutely at that interview at the time you are supposed to be there. What’s 20 minutes of your life extra if showing up late is going to prove that you really don’t want the job?

#2 — Be Pleasant To All

This is the person you see in the parking lot. This is the person that’s holding the elevator door open for you. This is the person that’s at the front desk signing you in to the interviewer. This is the person that is cleaning the bathroom when you’re taking a break.

It doesn’t matter who it is. They’re human beings. You should be nice and professional, to begin with, but you never know how everyone is tied together. That should be another key reason for you to treat everyone effectively, nicely, and professionally. You don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot by being a butt-head to any one person because they might just be the person that seals or breaks the deal.

#3 — Body Language Says Yes

You may not know a ton about body language. Do a quick Google or YouTube search for easy body language tips. Look at the sources and make sure they’re something reputable. I understand that you may not know the best sources for that, but if it’s leading off to some Google ads everywhere or all text website, maybe take it with a grain of salt.

Point being, pull the top five or ten interview body language tips that are easiest to remember and you’ll be well above everyone else out there. Don’t pay too much attention to them to where they get in the way, but know that doing certain things sets yourself up unconsciously to look like you’re saying no to what’s being offered. You don’t want to do that.

#4 — Dress Professionally, But Not Too Fancy

You don’t want to look like the GQ guy that you see in advertisements showing up to an interview, but you do want to dress on level or one level above, I think it is, of what you expect the interviewer to be dressed in.

If you know it’s a completely business casual place, you probably don’t want to show up in some awesome suit, tie, very expensive shoes, cufflinks, etc. The whole nine yards. But business casual or one step above would be perfectly fine.

#5 — Stay on point

If you’re asked a simple question, the more you ramble, the more you dig your grave. If you’re asked a question that revolves around what are your best qualities, or what are your biggest weaknesses, you should be in and out just like that. If it takes more than 30 seconds to a minute, you are saying too much. That’s just the brass tacks of it all.

Don’t cut them short and give them the information that they need, but make sure that you’re not setting yourself up for failure by giving too much information if it doesn’t matter for the conversation.

Be a Winner & Champion The Interview

To make sure that your in-person job interview doesn’t bomb, keep the five tips that you learned in mind. Really own up and be responsible by arriving early, being pleasant to all, knowing body language that says yes, dressing professionally, but not too fancy, and staying on point for the conversation.

Keep these things in mind. Figure out how they can work for you. Reinvent your career development path. Hey, tell me about your awesome story when you get there. I hope these have helped.