Do’s and Donts During Job Interview

Do’s and donts during job interview (Proven Tips)

Being able to impress an interviewer is a skill that anyone can develop. To help you develop your interview skills below are tips that will help you stand out.

11 interview dos and don’ts:

1. Do your research
   It is very important to know everything there is about the company you are interviewing with including its background, mission, industry competitors, and notable accomplishments. It is also important to find out facts about the person interviewing you, if possible. It demonstrates a lot to the hiring manager when an interviewee puts in the work to research the company and the interviewer. It signals that you really want the job and are willing to do what it takes. So give yourself a competitive edge and do your research ahead of time!
2. Do listen
   Often interviewees will be in an interview and appear that they are listening to what the interviewer is saying but they are not listening. They are practicing interview answers in their head and/or allowing their inner critic to criticize things they say. It is important that when you are in an interview you are fully present and listen to the interviewer. This ensures that you precisely answer questions they ask and engage in the interview conversationally (rather than a strict question and answer session).
3. Do prepare questions to ask at the end of the interview
   You only want to walk out of an interview after asking questions. Not asking questions about the company, position, team, culture, opportunities for growth, projects you’d work on, etc. would make you appear disinterested and/or over confident. Always prepare interview stage appropriate questions to ask at the end of the interview.
4. Do dress appropriately
   Do research what the industry and company dress culture is like and wear professional clothes that match the company’s vibe. Never show up to your interview wearing wrinkled and/or dirty clothing. Wrinkled and dirty clothing elicit the characteristics of a lack of attention to detail, a lack of organizational skills, and a lack of mutual professional respect.
5. Do remember you are interviewing them just as much as you are interviewing you
   The Great Resignation has helped to level the playing field for job seekers. Job seekers now have more opportunities to be picky about who they choose to work for. Prior to accepting a position ensure that you ask the hiring manager questions that will help you assess if the company and position are a good fit for you and your career path.
6. Do be on time
   Do arrive to an in-person or online interview 5-10 minutes early. Being early but not too early shows organization, professionalism, and reliability. Do not arrive more than 10 minutes early or it can be awkward to have you waiting for an extended period of time.
7. Do not try to “wing it” and enter your interview without practicing answers to interview questions
   Do your best to practice and prepare answers to interview questions ahead of time. InterviewDestiny provides tools to learn, practice, and develop your answers to over 450 interview questions. There’s no reason not to prepare and practice job-specific answers to the interview questions you’ll likely encounter. When job applicants don’t prepare and practice interview answers they end up rambling, overlooking important information, not relating their qualifications to the question they were asked, and saying things like “um.” All of these actions are discrediting.  

8. Do not be afraid to ask for clarification (if you need it)
   If you are unsure about something during an interview, do not hesitate to ask for clarification. When you ask for clarification you show that you are thoughtful about your responses and are not someone who will give an answer without being certain of what you are responding to. Hiring managers want people that will produce detail-oriented work products. They will relate your ability to ask for clarification to traits of a high performing team member.

9. Do not appear distracted
   Prior to arriving at your interview, put your phone on silent and put it away. Never pick up your phone during an interview (unless it is appropriate for scheduling). When the interviewer is speaking to you or when you are speaking to the interviewer do not look around. No matter how nervous you are it is best to maintain eye contact throughout the interview process. To demonstrate professionalism in your interview do not allow yourself to appear distracted.
10. Do not speak poorly about past employers
    No matter how horrible a former employer may have been, never speak poorly about them. Every hiring manager will assume that if you speak poorly about a past employer you will speak poorly about them and people on your team. Companies do not want to take the risk and hire people that may be negative, slanderous, or problematic. Additionally, many industries are smaller than they seem. It is possible that the employer/ company you bad mouth is a partner/vendor for the company and or industry friend to the hiring manager.
11. Do not lie about or embellish your skills and abilities
    Never, under any circumstances, should you say you have a skill or ability you actually do not have. This can result in a very embarrassing situation if given an on-the-spot skill test. For example, I have a friend who was interviewing for a dream retail buying job. She put on her resume, and said she could speak Mandarin. Halfway through her interview the interviewer brought someone in to finish her interview in Mandarin. She could only say “Hello” in Mandarin. Once the interviewers realized this they ended the interview. Had she not lied she may have gotten hired for the position or another (as the company had several openings). Now she is stigmatized as a liar and has almost no chance of being hired by the company – ever.

Do and don’ts of job interview attire (10 Tips)

Inc. Magazine reported that “71 percent of hirers wouldn’t hire a person who missed the dress code memo.” What you wear to an interview depends on the company’s culture and the position you are applying for within the company.

Do and don’t of job interview attire:

1. Do wear clothes in neutral tones as they help you appear authentic and trustworthy, light blue is great for coming across genuine and truthful this is why many people wear this color when testifying in court
2. Do wear clothes that fit well, you want to be able to sit and move comfortably
3. Do wear clothes that you feel confident in
4. Do wear clothes that reflect the industry you are applying for, if you’re interviewing for a high-end luxury fashion job, then don’t go to an interview in jeans and a t-shirt inversely if you’re interviewing for a software engineer position then don’t overdress in a suit
5. Do plan, and have ready-to-wear, an interview outfit backup in case what you’re wearing gets dirty or rips
6. Don’t wear wrinkled or dirty clothes
7. Don’t wear clothes that is distracting, avoid loud prints, clothes with company logos, and/or clothing that can be considered provocative
8. Don’t wear clothes that does not match the company culture
9. Don’t wear clothes that are hard to move in
10. Don’t feel the need to spend money on expensive interview clothing, your appearance should be pleasing but the interviewer is not hiring you for your clothes they are hiring you for what you can add to the company

Job Interview Outfits (Examples)
If you have yourself struggling to figure out what to wear to your interview, when in doubt, select business casual interview attire. Below are examples of business casual attire for men and women.

Men: Khaki pants and a light blue dress shirt

Women: Khaki pants or pencil skirt and a light (blue) top

10 do’s when preparing for a job interview

1. Do become a master of the job description
2. Do create a list of your work achievements and relate them to the job description’s duties
3. Do polish your social media profiles and make them “interview ready”
4. Do research the company
5. Do research your interviewer
6. Do practice interview answers that include examples of your relevant work achievements
7. Do prepare your interview materials
8. Do plan out what you will wear, based on what is appropriate for the company and position
9. Do confirm your interview logistics
10. Do prepare questions to ask the interviewer

10 things not to do during an interview

1. Do not arrive late
2. Do not have your phone on
3. Do not seem disinterested
4. Do not overdress or underdress
5. Do not speak poorly about any previous employers or coworkers
6. Do not ramble
7. Do not get too personal
8. Do not demand a certain salary
9. Do not wear scented products to an interview
10. Do not forget to follow up with the interviewer and say “Thank you”

Interview Dos and Don’ts for Students (10 Proven Tips)

1. Do prepare to make a good first impression, appearance, handshake, eye-contact
2. Do prepare a concise and professional “Tell me about yourself” answer
3. Do prepare statements that explain how you would approach something you’ve never done before 
4. Do use professional language, avoid the use of slang 
5. Do be aware of your body language
6. Don’t be overconfident
7. Don’t be rude to any employees or staff
8. Don’t have your parents, family, or friends with you
9. Don’t make yourself at home, eating, talking on your phone, playing audio on your phone, spreading your belongings everywhere
10. Don’t post about your interview on social media

Do’s and Donts During Job Interview (FAQs)

Conclusion

I hope this article on what to do and what not to do has been helpful to your interview preparation! Do you have any questions? Or maybe there is something I didn’t cover. Let me know in the comments.

To help you ace your interview, we’ve created a variety of interview preparation tools and resources for you to use. We have everything you need to get ready for your interview. You can create an account on InterviewDestiny to amp up your interview prep. It’s easy to get started free or hit the ground running with one of our compassionately priced subscription options.