PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
The interview is one of the most important events in your job search, for the 30 minutes
spent with the interviewer may determine the future course of your life. Too many
applicants, however, go the interview unprepared and inappropriately dressed. Few know
much about the organization.
Helpful Tips:
Know the exact place and time of the interview. Don't rely on memory. Write it down,
and keep it with you.
Do some research on the company, agency, or organization. Find out how old it is, what
its products and services are, where its plants, offices or stores are located, what its
growth has been, and how its prospects look for the future. Failure to do homework can
be the kiss of death. Nothing turns interviewers off faster.
Practice using mock interviews. Have a friend or relative role play with you or practice by
yourself using a mirror.
Dress for success. The way you dress is the most powerful single non-verbal
communication you can make in the interview. Check to see how other people in the field
dress. Your clothes should be neat and clean. If in doubt, you will be safe by dressing
conservatively. Select one outfit as your interview outfit. You will be the only one who
knows that you've worn it on the past five job interviews. Colors convey different
messages. For example, red comes across as being assertive, black as authoritative, navy
blue as trustworthy, gray as diplomatic, etc. Select your clothes carefully. Call attention to
what you say, not what you wear.
Reprinted from CPC Annual, 1990-91 Edition