A common piece of advice that's given to job seekers on the issue of dress is to scope out the company before the interview by actually dropping by the office unannounced (for instance, interviewee could go disguised as a bike messenger). Although at WetFeet wholeheartedly stand by this advice, it's our pleasure (and our job) to use our schmoozing capabilities to save our effort. To spare interviewee from looking the fool, we tapped our sources in an array of industries to find out what they had to say on the topic. Here are some [15]:
Be remembered;
Be creative;
Be single-breasted;
Be yourself.
Interviewing tips
Sarah E. Needleman defines 7 tips of Interviewing:
1. Plan Ahead – The interviewee should research the company and the position if possible, as well, the people he/she will meet with at the interview; and should review his/her work experiences. Interviewee must be ready to support past career accomplishments with specific information targeted toward the companies needs.
2. Role Play – Interviewee should use the general questions provided below in the Interview Preparation Area and write down answers if it helps to make his/her presentation more concise.
3. Eye Contact – Interviewee should maintain eye contact with his/her interviewer and show that he/she wants the job.
4. Be Positive - In particular, interviewee must avoid negative comments about past employer
5. Adapt - Listen and adapt. Interviewee should be sensitive to the style of the interviewer and pay attention to those details of dress, office furniture, and general decor, which will afford helpful clues to assist him/her in tailoring the presentation.
6. Relate – Interviewee should try to relate his/her answers to the interviewer and the company; and focus on achievements relevant to the position.
7. Encourage - Interviewee must encourage the interviewer to share information about his or her company and demonstrate his/her interest.
At the same time James Caverly gives other examples of interviewing tips [4]:
1. Arrive early – If interviewee is unclear on the location, drive there the night before. While he/she waits for the interviewer, assume the interview has already begun.
2. Listen carefully – Interviewee should pay close attention, and understand the company's needs. Doing so will give an interviewer reason to trust interviewee'll do the same when talking to clients.
3. Make a connection – Icebreakers, such as commenting on a picture or relating interviewee’s hobbies or interests to an obvious interest of the employer, can work to his/her advantage. However, interviewee should not walk in ready to recite a rehearsed icebreaker: Every interviewer has a different personality.
4. Ask questions – Before interviewee walk into the interview, he/she should know what the company sells, whom they sell to, and the past, present and future growth of the company. Asking questions in the meeting will give interviewee a greater understanding of the company and will show his/her interest [4].
The ethics of Interviewing
The exchange of information that goes on between interviewer and interviewee should be guided by some basic ethical guidelines and responsibilities. In addition to the moral reasons for following these guidelines, there is often a pragmatic basis for behaving ethically. Since the interview is likely to be part of an ongoing relationship, behaving responsibly and honorably will serve one well in future interactions. Conversely, the costs of developing a poor reputation are usually greater than the benefits of gaining a temporary advantage by behaving unethically or irresponsibly (7).
Linda Beamer and Iris Varner point out some obligations of interviewer and interviewee [2].
