Be on Time
A great way to not get a job is to be late to your interview. This ones pretty obvious, but you would be surprised how many people show up late. I would rather be an hour early then a minute late.
Dress the Part
Make sure your outfit is appropriate for the job you are interviewing for. Sometimes a dressy but more casual appearance is acceptable, but other times a more formal appearance might be better.
Know Whose Interviewing You
Find out the name, position and any other information you can about the person interviewing you and the place you want to work at. This way they can tell you have done your research and you really care about working there.
Give a Good Hand Shake
It’s a well known fact that a solid handshake at the beginning and end of an interview can seal the deal. No one like a weakling so work on that grip!
Make Eye Contact
Not the creepy kind! Making good eye contact during your interview will let them know you are focused and listening carefully.
Sound Enthusiastic
Do you want this job? Then try to act a little enthusiastic! Let them know why you would love to work there and how you could benefit them and try not to sound so monotone.
Plan for Questions Ahead of Time
It’s impossible to guess what you might be asked in an interview, but you can at least have the basics prepared such as: where have you worked, what have you accomplished, what you would like to accomplish, how could you benefit us and so on.
Know Your Work
Make sure you can speak for at least 2 minutes about every piece in your portfolio. Be able to talk about the client, the goal, the process, the end result and your experience working on it.
Make Sure Your Portfolio is Well Presented
Make sure your portfolio is organized and each piece is named and numbered with a table of contents to refer too. Try to keep any backgrounds or paper behind pieces of work neutral so they don’t take away from the work itself.
Splurging for a nice portfolio case is also a good idea; no one wants to see you take your portfolio out of a plastic bag from the grocery store. Also be sure to have copies of your portfolio on disc or extra hard copies for your possible employer to keep.
Let Them View Your Portfolio
Hand the portfolio over to your interviewer so they can flip through it at their own pace and see what they want to see. Don’t try to show it yourself. Let them be in control!
A Simple Thank You
Thank the person for their time and let them know you look forward to hearing back from them soon, followed by the handshake mentioned earlier.
The Follow Up
This is a tough one because sometimes they tell you not to call back, but I’ve heard many stories of people who do and end up getting the job because they did call back. I’ve even heard stories of people bypassing human resources and going straight to the top dog for a chat on the phone!
I’ll let you guys be the judge on this one, but you should call unless they specifically tell you not to call back under penalty of death!