Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (41 page)

How would you describe the ideal candidate? (Take notes here—you’ll use them for your closing argument and in your thank-you note.)

How does this job/department fit into the work of the company overall?

Here are questions you
shouldn’t
ask: “What’s the salary?” or “How much vacation time do you offer?” Don’t bring up salary or benefits until the second interview, or even later—see
chapter 7
. If you get the sense that the interviewer is looking at his watch and needs to wrap up, say, “If other questions occur to me, may I e-mail them to you?”

Before you go, offer a closing argument conveying why you are the right person for this job. Leave the interviewer with a clear message, reiterating the concrete skills and experience you would bring to the task: “You’re looking for an assistant widget builder; I think my internship building widgets last summer would allow me to hit the ground running here.”

Without being pushy, try to get a sense of the next step. “Do you have a sense of your hiring timeline?” If you’ve been asked to do an assignment, confirm the timeline you’ve been given to return it: “So I’ll have these materials back to you by the end of next week.” Thank everyone, shake hands, smile, and leave a positive, upbeat impression.

Q. How do I convey that this is the perfect job for me, that this is the place I really, really want to work?

A.
If you loved everything about the interview and feel more than ever that this is the job for you, express this enthusiastically, but don’t overdo it. While it’s important that the interviewer understand how excited you are about the job possibility, your candidacy hinges on your skills and personality. Reiterate your excitement in your thank-you note, but “show” rather than “tell” your enthusiasm. Go the extra mile by doing additional research on the company and incorporating what you learn into your note.

Q. The interviewer’s assistant asked me to join a group for lunch or drinks. Should I go?

A.
Sure, but don’t let your guard down for a minute. You are still being interviewed, even if you don’t think you are, and even if your potential colleagues aren’t explicitly inviting you for this purpose.

One of the biggest mistakes many candidates make is not following up by thanking the interviewer. To many interviewers, no thank-you note is not only disrespectful but a sign of a candidate’s lack of interest in the position. After the interview, sit in a nearby coffee shop or the lobby (but not in the area where you waited for the interview; it will seem odd that you’re not leaving). Take a few minutes to review any interview notes, write down questions as they occur to you, and draft your thank-you notes while the interview is still fresh in your
mind. Send the thank-you note that day to show how prompt and efficient you are.

Don’t bombard the interviewer with e-mails—limit yourself to one thoughtful, well-written thank-you.

While etiquette used to call for handwritten notes, e-mail is fine in today’s professional world. If you have enough to say, you might choose to lob off a quick e-mail and follow it with a more thorough handwritten note. A caveat: If you interview with an old-world type who doesn’t seem computer-savvy, a handwritten note is more appropriate. If you interviewed with several people, you should send each a personalized note. If an assistant was particularly helpful in setting up the interview or providing you with insight into the job, include her as well.

Don’t bombard the interviewer with e-mails—limit yourself to one thoughtful, well-written thank-you. If you have questions, incorporate them into the note; don’t send a slew as they occur to you, and don’t send e-mails after midnight and before 6
A.M
. You’ll look like an insomniac freak.

Thank the interviewer for her time, then add in points of connection or mutual interests that came up in discussion. (If you discovered that you share a passion for documentaries, you might recommend a favorite.) Repeat old or add new information about why you’re right for the job. If you forgot to mention something you think is important, now is the time. Don’t lead with “I forgot,” though. Instead, try something like, “I thought you might also be interested to know …”

Like all the written components of your job-search, your thank-you note should be positive, full of detail, and specific to the position at stake.

ASSESSING THE INTERVIEW—YOUR TURN

If you’re sending a handwritten note, use a professional, neutral card with a matching envelope. The note should be brief and the handwriting neat and legible. If your handwriting is spidery, illegible, or looks like teen-aged scrawl, type it up.

Before you send the note, read it out loud and proofread. If you’re able, have someone else read it for you. To beat a dead horse: A single typo or mistake could ruin your chances.

Q. How do I address the interviewer in my thank-you note?

A.
Take your cue from the interview—did you get a casual vibe, or is the office formal? If you’re unsure, use Mr. or Ms. In contrast to your cover letters, you shouldn’t be addressing anyone as “Dear John Smith.” That greeting implies that you haven’t met the addressee.

If your first interview was successful, you will get either an offer or a call for a second interview (and after that, maybe even for a third). Sometimes the offer will take place on the phone or by e-mail, but in some cases it takes place at the second interview. (Some interviewers don’t like to extend an offer on the phone.) Still, don’t go in assuming that the job is in the bag; the employer may be very far from a decision. Whatever the case, second and third interviews are opportunities for you to meet more people, ask some questions about day-to-day responsibilities, ascertain the employer’s priorities, and get into more detail about working styles and personalities. The same rules apply as for first interviews, but the atmosphere might be different.

If your first interview was brief, the second interview will be more involved, possibly with new and multiple interviewers. (Sometimes the first interview is with an assistant, the second with the hiring person.) If your first interview was thorough, your second interview might be more of a casual conversation—a chance for you and the interviewer to get to know each other. You’ll likely go into much more detail about what the job actually entails. Sometimes interviewers take more of a hazing tactic in the second interview, bringing up some of the less pleasant aspects of the job or company and emphasizing just how hard you’re going to have to work. The message here is, Okay, you passed the first test, but do you really want to work here? (The answer, of course, being, Yes, I’m up to the challenge!)

You need to send yet another thank-you e-mail or note after a second interview, but this one can be much briefer:
“Thanks so much for taking the time to see me again. I’m more certain than ever that I would be a great match for the position, and I look forward to hearing from you.”

You’ve had the interview or interviews. You’ve sent your follow-up e-mails, thank-you notes, and references. Now you can only sit and wait to hear back. Right?

Wrong. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Continue to schedule informational interviews, to network, and to research people and places and salary ranges and benefits. You’ll multiply your options, and you’ll also avoid falling prey to job-hunter’s malaise, a condition characterized by a resistance to getting dressed, an unwillingness to exercise, an obsessive need to read several newspapers word for word, and a penchant for spending hours on the Internet without actually accomplishing anything.