Put those smartphones away Great tips for making your job interview count Anna Post

[Music]

manners you’ve got a job interview

etiquette out there you’ve got

internship interview etiquette out there

and you all might be thinking why are we

here today to talk it all about

etiquette for job interviews well when

you think about it an interview is a

conversation with somebody that might

just be the most life-changing

conversation you ever have so no

pressure right it’s okay

couple of reasons why I do think that

this is really important number one this

is something that can really set you

apart from the crowd and we all know

that there’s a lot of job applicants out

there right now number two it’s expected

of you interviewers are gonna be looking

for the things we’re about to talk about

and frankly none of these things we’re

gonna talk about should be a reason that

you don’t get a job for which you have

experience and qualifications to do and

lastly it’s a really great chance to

show the respect and the interest and

the appreciation you have for the

opportunity to interview so there’s six

things that I want all of you to know

today about interview etiquette so here

we go number one prepare prepare more

than you think you need to do okay and

prepare outloud by the way this might

sound kind of silly but you’re gonna do

this in the shower when you’re walking

the dog maybe when you’re in the car you

can do this with a friend practice

hearing yourself say things out loud

like your strengths or maybe answering

questions that you think you might be

asked in an interview this is gonna get

you comfortable hearing yourself say

this kind of stuff out loud and that

comfort is gonna translate into

confidence when you’re actually in the

interview okay so number two dress up a

notch okay a notch from what well it’s

not always about being really fancy you

want to be appropriate to whoever you’re

visiting so if you don’t know it’s okay

to call a receptionist or Human

Resources HR and find out what the

normal attire is at the place you’re

going into this is a great way to show

that you value the culture that you’re

entering into number three be on time no

big shocker

I heard a story about a guy really

qualified candidate at a major tax

company and he was nine minutes late for

his interview and I know that number was

nine because that’s how much this

company cared about timeliness I’ll tell

you something he didn’t get the job he

walked in and the interview sounded like

this we really wanted to hire you but we

just can’t you were late we’re sorry

here’s the thing I think it’s a great

idea when you go in for a job or

internship interview to do a dry run

find out how long that commute will take

you to get there so that you know number

four the handshake okay now you guys

have all done handshakes I know that so

you know that eye contact is really

important way to show acknowledgement

recognition and confidence you didn’t

smile so that you look at ease so that

you are welcoming the handshake itself

right you want a really complete

handshake

none of this sort of limp fish stuff

that leaves you wanting to wipe your

hands off afterwards some people talk

about having a really strong handshake

right which you don’t want though is

that crushing handshake here nobody

wants that nobody likes getting one of

those either

then there’s my favorite I call this one

the glad-hand right this is when you

shake somebody’s hand and you’re like

yeah nice to meet you

and you’re using both of them that’s for

the politicians skip that one now

there’s something that you might not

know about handshakes though and I want

you all to do this with me right now and

that is to stand up so everybody in the

audience or if you’re at home you can do

this there stand up beautiful you do

that absolutely beautifully this is one

of the best ways that you can show your

respect you’re meeting somebody at their

eye level this is fantastic you guys can

sit down again beautifully done

number five this is about your

smartphone or your cell phone or

anything else that you’ve got with you I

love mine you love yours but in the

interview you’re gonna want to put them

away it’s like they don’t even exist

don’t want to see it don’t want to hear

it why here’s the deal you know I like

to know the reason why somebody’s asking

me to do something and here it is giving

our full attention to somebody and our

interviewer deserves that is one of the

best ways that we can show our respect

for that person when you divide that

attention

distracted away by a device it

diminishes the respect that you’re

paying to them I think that’s why people

really feel this one this is a big one

for people number six

thank you notes all right how many

people here raise your hands I’ve ever

written a handwritten thank-you note

before awesome I knew it all right now

of those of you out there who have

already interviewed for a job or an

internship how many of you written a

handwritten note for that opportunity

this is a fantastic chance to really

shine this is a great opportunity now

here’s the thing I’m not just about

handwritten notes I’m all for email -

that’s great so you can send one of each

your email is gonna sound like this

I just dropped a note in the mail and I

wanted to thank you right away for the

opportunity to interview you’ll probably

say a couple things about you know

something unique to the interview maybe

a little follow up these don’t have to

be really long they don’t have to be

identical either they can be kind of

close but don’t copy them and send one

to each person that you met with in the

interview so those are the six things

that I want you to know about job

interviews to prepare more than you

think and to prepare out loud to dress

up a notch to be on time to have a great

handshake that you stand up for to have

your cell phone away not a distraction

and just end thank you afterwards

handwritten and email to everybody that

you meet with but here’s the thing it

can sometimes also be about nerves so

before you go in do this with me right

now really big smile I learned this

trick when I started speaking and it’s a

great one to put you at ease so I want

to thank you guys all and wish you a lot

of success

[Applause]

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