Interview Guide
For fun, emotional security and the thrill of anticipation, the job interview ranks right up there with IRS audits and root-canal work. But the key to making the final cut is to properly prepare for the interview and not worry so much about doing something outstandingly right. These practical hints on avoiding interview mistakes should help you make the best impression.

Don't Arrive Late
Nothing makes a worse impression. If you can't turn up on time for the interview, what on earth would you do as an employee? If there's even the remotest chance that weather, traffic or hard-to-follow directions might be the problem, leave absurdly early just to be sure. If your car is hit by a meteor, go to a phone booth and ask to reschedule.

Don't Arrive Early
Getting to the office building at 3:30 for a 4:00 appointment is good; presenting yourself to the receptionist at this time is not. Arriving early pressures the interviewer; instead, go to a nearby restaurant for a last-minute cup of coffee and a final check of your hair and clothing.

Don't Dress Yourself In a Rush
How you look has a lot to do with how you're seen. Dressing too casually or flamboyantly can ruin your chances. If you select your clothes right before you leave, you won't have time to fix the loose button or scuffed shoe you've just discovered. Since neatness counts in an interview, prepare your entire interview attire the night before the appointment, if not earlier.

Don't Chew Gum
Gum is not a good substitute for cigarettes or self-confidence. Gum chewing looks appropriate only in vintage movies.

Don't Bring Along a Friend
Tempting though it may be, resist the urge to bring someone along to hold your hand or help you fill out applications. Even being seen saying goodbye to your best friend or your spouse at the building door can make you look as if you didn't have the nerve to get there on your own. Being picked up afterward also reeks of dependency.

Don't Neglect Your Homework
It isn't necessary to memorize the company's annual sales and profit figures, but you should know something about their products or services. Check out information about large companies from their corporate web sites or in business magazines or corporate directories at your public library.

Don't Forget the Dress Rehearsal
You wouldn't make a speech to your PTA or church group without planning what you're going to say, yet people walk into job interviews every day just assuming that brilliant words will leap to their lips. Think of potential questions you might be asked, or what you've been asked before and practice — with a tape recorder or a friend if necessary.

Don't Look At Your Watch
Clock watching gives the impression that you're late for a more important date. Avoid that problem by asking when you set up the appointment how much time you should allow for the interview.

Don't Bad-Mouth Your Boss
Never, never, never say anything negative about a person or company you worked for in the past. It can brand you as a complainer.

Don't Admit Your Flaws Outright
Some interviewers will ask, "What is your greatest weakness?" Giving a straightforward, totally honest answer is a mistake; it's an attempt to have you eliminate yourself from the competition. Rather, counter the question by mentioning a "positive weakness." Say, for instance, "I'm a very organized person, but you'd never know it from looking at my desk."

Don't Be Ignorant Of Your Own Strengths
Researching the company is only half your pre-interview homework assignment. You have to research yourself as well. Make a list of ten work-related things you do well or know a lot about. Then, during your interview rehearsal, come up with graceful ways to mention them.

Don't Ask Too Many/Too Few Questions
If you were the interviewer, would you hire someone who hijacked the entire interview and put you on the defensive? On the other hand, be ready when the interviewer asks, "What questions do you have?" Saying that he/she has covered the subject so well you don't have a thing to ask about is a bad idea too. It makes you look uninterested, unimaginative or both.

Don't Inquire About Benefits Too Soon
If you seem more interested in the three-week vacation policy or the new dental plan than in actual job duties, especially in the first interview, the prospective boss may develop serious concerns about your priorities. A benefits package is something a personnel representative or hiring manager will bring up on his/her own, or it will be part of the salary negotiations. After all, an attractive benefits plan is a selling point for them.

Don't Reveal Your Price Tag
Did you ever fall in love with an article of clothing before checking to see how much it cost? It may have taught you to look at the tag right away so in case the price is out of the question, you can reject the garment mentally before getting your heart set on it. But you want these people to discover how wonderful you are before they see how much you cost. If they try to sneak a premature peek at your price tag, say something like, "Yes, I have some salary thoughts, but I need to know more about what this job entails."

Don't Have an Energy Failure
Regardless of how much sleep you got, or how sick you feel, you need to appear bright-eyed and eager for the interview because candidates with lackluster attitudes rarely get the offer. To muster up the required mental energy, try listening to lively music right before the appointment. If that's impossible, just play an upbeat tune in your head. Think of yourself as an entertainer who knows that the show must go on.

Don't Lose Your Cool
Occasionally, interviewers have been known to test job applicants by surprising them with loaded questions or blunt comments, such as "What makes you think you can handle this job when people with twice your experience don't have the nerve to apply?" Remain calm, even though your injured ego may be fleeing for the nearest exit. Some companies like to see just how professional and unflappable you can be under fire.

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