Interview tips (7 of 8): Interview Dos and Dont’s
Today, I just wanted to go through a basic list of “Dos” and “Dont’s” for the interview. A lot of this material has been implied in what I’ve written over the past week; but still, I wanted to get it all in one place:
- Do: Be friendly. Smile, make eye contact, laugh. By being friendly you will relax the interviewers and yourself, and create an easygoing atmosphere in which it will be easier to share information about yourself
- Don’t: Overdo it. Don’t try to hard to make the interviewers like you by telling jokes, flirting, or being overly familiar. These tactics will make the interviewers uncomfortable.
- Do: Be Honest. Interviewers are good at what they do, and they can usually sense when you are being disingenuous. Remember, you may not be right for a program – the interview can help you know.
- Don’t: Be plain. Yes, tell the truth. But tell it with some style. Think about how to tell your story in a way that sounds impressive. Don’t make things up, but do make sure you make the truth sound good.
- Do: Be Talkative. The interviewers want to hear what you have to say. They don’t want to hear one-word answers to questions. Be sure to elaborate on your answers and share as much information as possible.
- Don’t: Talk forever. Tell the interviewers everything that is relevant to the question, but do not talk forever. Interviewers are working on a tight schedule.
- Do: Ask Questions. Asking questions about the program shows your interest and also demonstrates that you have thought about what it would mean to participate.
- Don’t: Think that your questions “don’t count.” If you ask a question that shows you are totally ignorant of the program (or unsuitable for it), interviewers WILL TAKE NOTE.
- Do: Relax. The interview is not the most important thing in your life. It may not even be the most important thing in your application. So relax. You’ll do better anyway.
- Don’t: Relax about basic professionalism. Don’t be late. Don’t dress casually. Don’t slouch in your chair. Don’t use casual forms of speech or conversation. “Relax” does not mean “You can forget about politeness.”
- Do: Know what you want and why you want it!!! The basic question behind every interview question is “What do you want and why?” You should think about this for a long time before you go to the interview.
- Don’t: Be insistent and inflexible. Knowing what you want doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible about other possibilities. Candidates who are insistent and inflexible raise a red flag for interviewers.