I've been looking for a job for several weeks now, and I have an interview tomorrow. Is there anything specific that I should or should not do during an interview? I know not to chew gum, make eye contact, smile, etc., but are there even smaller things that might disqualify me from getting the job?

Also, do you have any advice for job hunting in general?

For what job? Overdress !

Fake confidence. Have a take it, or leave it attitude, but in a jovial way.

Anyways, the most important thing is that you know someone who already works there.

Watch body language. Don't fidget; no playing with your tie or whatever else you might be doing. Your hands shouldn't be doing much but staying still or accentuating what you're saying.

Confidence is important (and is conveyed through voice and body language), but trying to come off "take it and leave it" may make you seem uninterested.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Mar 9 2011, 3:14 am by Centreri.

But that's gonna just make her want you more.

- Always do some research on said company. Employers/interviewers never like having to restate information which can easily be found elsewhere.
- Dress professionally, even if they don't require you to. First impression must always be good
- Keep answers/responses brief and concise. Nobody wants to hear you ramble. Use concrete and quantifiable data, not generalities.
- Emphasize on your strengths. Remember you are trying to sell yourself.
- Show that you are thinking. Even if you cannot answer a question perfectly, show that you can think on your feet and use experience and knowledge to answer to the best of your ability.
- Beware of over-familiarity at all times. Never let your guard down until you are out of the interviewer’s sight.
- Do not use “yeah” or “yup” instead of yes
- Be prepared to communicate your goals, both short-term and long-term. What would you like to get from your first job? Where would you like to be in five to seven years?
- May not necessarily apply to you, but never complain about past work/school experiences. It gives employers the impression that "Oh so you only want to work with us to get away from bad stuff." Employers only want people who are candidly interested in their company, not those who want to run away or try to escape from a certain reality.

MA's advice is generally excellent for graduate employment and most of it can be applied to low-level grunt work as well. As he says, do your research and you'll come across as interested in the company because you'll know something about it and be able to display that knowledge at interview. Also, try to think of questions before the interview which you can't find the answers to on their website or whatever - it shows an additional degree of interest.

Different companies are looking for different things at interview. Some companies have higher standards than others (though in this time of economic recession, standards are generally a little higher). If you're going for an interview at JPMorgan Chase you will need to display much higher standards of intelligence, interest, dress etc. than if you're applying for a job as a shelf-stacker in Walmart, for example. It's common sense in most cases.

Also, about low standards. I went for a group job interview at Asda (Walmart's UK subsidiary) and was massively off the mark in my preparation. I turned up dressed smartly - not in a suit but a pair of smart trousers, a shirt and a sweater. Everyone else turned up in jeans and a t-shirt. They also asked annoying questions at interview like "What Disney character would you be?" and, not thinking, I blurted out "Captain Hook" - that one got a few puzzled looks.

I got the job.

I've nailed every interview I've ever been in (even ones I was graded on) and it is mostly because I make eye contact, laugh when I need to, try to be funny and friendly, and constantly nod or agree to show I am paying attention. Humor goes a long, long way.

Dressing for the part is huge, as well. Doing research helps, though I have a feeling they will lay out everything you need to know in the interview, and then finish with a "So do you have any questions for me (or us)?" Atthat you can either end with "No, thank you. I've learned all I need to here and from outside resources" or try to ask them poignant questions.

Probably it's too late, but definitely you need to prepare questions to ask them. This shows you're actually interested in working for *them*, not just some guy that wants a job from whomever will give him one. If this is just a retail job it's not that important but it can still put you above the competition, which is what you need when there is a large pool of applicants.

Exactly what kind of questions is entirely dependant on the type of job you're applying for. As you haven't told us, I can't offer anything specific for you. If it's some place that you know doesn't have a uniform (eg not retail or restaurant work, but office work) ask if they have a dress code. You can ask how often you get paid - weekly, fortnightly, monthly. If it's in software (my field), ask them what they use for a bug tracking system, what compiler they use, what IDE, what testing procedures they have in place etc.

Make sure to think about the questions you're going to ask, and make sure that they aren't answered on the company's website (or at least, not easily visible). Otherwise, it might seem that you're asking for the sake of asking, which isn't good.

Well, there's two types of questions really; operational ones like what the company policies are and tools they use, and then questions about their products/services/customers whatever that might be on the website.

If you do look at their website, then you could actually ask questions about what is in there, if it's relevant. Note that large companies will have corporate websites, and the particular office you're working at may have little or nothing to do with anything posted on the corporate website.

Depending on the role/company, they may have a 1 or 2 (or more) interview hiring process. If they have more than 1 interview, or you suspect that they might (eg towards the middle-end of the interview it seems more like a 1st screening interview to weed out the weirdos), DON'T bring up pay/salary or benefits in the first interview. I would suggest that even in a 2nd or 3rd interview talking about salary/benefits should be fairly light, unless they bring the issue up. Once you get the job offer you can discuss the issue further then.