10 Tricks to Help You Go Beyond the Fundamentals in Preparing for Your Next Job Interview   

While there are many articles written about interviewing skills, oftentimes they focus on the fundamentals or types of answers the interviewer might be seeking. Below, however, are the ten things I have found that aren’t as widely published but are still crucial and should not be ignored!

1. Arrive Early – But Not Too Early 
It is well known that you should always arrive early for an interview — but you also don’t want to arrive too early. To be safe, you should never check into an interview more than ten minutes ahead of time.  If you do, the interviewer may not be ready, and it makes them feel pressured to finish what they are working on to meet you.  Instead, arriving just a few minutes before the interview shows that you are punctual, but doesn’t irritate the interviewer to the point that they have to stop what they are doing. Needless to say, that scenario starts you off on the wrong foot in your initial encounter!

In addition to this, you never ever want to be late.  If you don’t know the itinerary for the big day, I would suggest taking a drive ahead of time just to ensure you don’t get lost.  There is nothing worse than already being nervous and then adding stress because your GPS is outdated due to construction or unplanned-for detours.

If you do find yourself in the parking lot thirty minutes ahead of schedule, take this time to review your material, clear your head, breathe deeply, or read.

2. Dress to Impress
I don’t care if you are applying for a position in the mail-room or for a VP position, if you will be working in a professional environment, make sure you are dressed to impress.  I always suggest a business suit if you own one. If not, a pair of dress slacks and a button-up blouse are always a safe bet.  Avoid anything that is sheer or overly tight as this sends off the wrong signals.  If you question if what you are wearing is appropriate — then it probably isn’t.  Also, make sure what you are wearing is ironed and without wrinkles.

3. Avoid Being Subconsciously Distracting
There are also things that you should avoid that could actually be hurting you in the interview that you weren’t aware of.  Perfume, no matter how subtle, can be offensive to sensitive noses.  It’s not needed in an interview, and will probably hurt you more than help you. Another is flashy jewelry or bangle bracelets.  With bracelets such as Alex and Ani gaining popularity, it is more tempting to put them on as part of your wardrobe.  Unfortunately, they make a lot of noise, and if like me you tend to talk with your hands, they can take away from what you’re saying and distract the interviewer.  Finally, don’t ever chew gum in an interview.  If you’re worried about your breath, pop an Altoid before going in.

4. Leave your Phone in the Car
Yes — you read that correctly, do not bring your phone with you into an interview!  It is not needed, and so many things can go wrong if you have it on you. You could accidentally forget to turn it to silent, and it starts blaring Justin Bieber in the middle of your interview.  You could check email or texts while waiting for the interview to begin and read something that is upsetting and completely throw you off of your game.  It’s only for a few hours, and it is well worth the time to leave it behind.

5. Do your Research
It’s not enough to simply research the company you are applying for – you should also have an understanding of the industry as a whole.  Being able to speak about not only the company, but the trends and challenges facing the marketplace can give you a leg up on your competition and show that you are a potential valuable resource to the organization.

If you have information regarding the individuals with whom you will be interviewing, I suggest looking them up on LinkedIn.  It can give you insight into their backgrounds and also the steps they took to reach their current position within the company. This can provide you with a common ground to start a conversation and help you become relatable to the interviewer.

6. Smile
It can be difficult to do when you’re nervous, but it is one of the best things you can do.  It makes you more approachable, and a smile is contagious.

7. Be Yourself
The interviewer is not only looking at your qualifications; he or she also wants to see how you will fit within the organization’s culture and current staff. Also, within many organizations collaboration is key, so being personable can give the interviewer insight into how you well you will work with others.

8. Remember who is Doing the Interview
If you were invited into someone’s home, you wouldn’t take off your shoes and start digging through their refrigerator – it would be considered bad manners, and would surely turn off your host!  An interview should be treated in much the same way.  Allow your interviewer to run the interview.  Don’t be overbearing, and try to take over by spouting your qualifications.  Hopefully your accomplishments were included in your resumé, and don’t need to be reiterated. Instead, the interview is an opportunity to get to know you and how you operate.  By the same token, if the interview goes well, don’t be afraid to ask what the next steps are and the timeframe.

9. Come Prepared with Well Thought-Out Questions
If you’re serious about the opportunity, then you will want to understand if it is truly a good fit for you.  Wait until the interview is almost complete, and the interviewer will almost surely ask if you have any questions for them.  This is the perfect time to show that you’ve researched the company by asking those questions that specifically pertain to them.  Some examples are, “What opportunities do you see for the company in the next 6, 9, 12 months? What are some of the priorities that the person coming into this role will need to focus on? What is your favorite thing about working here, and the company?” These can show what specifically you will be tasked with, but more importantly, it will also show why the company is a great place to work — if that is the case.

10. Never Duplicate your Thank You Note
What I mean by this: never send the same thank you note to multiple people. I have seen candidates who just wanted to get those emails sent and simply changed the name.  Nowadays you will most certainly interview with multiple people within the company, and chances are they sit near one another or are friends.  There is no faster way to ruin your chance at a company than having them realize they received the exact same note. So take the extra time to send a personalized note, vary the wording, and touch on something specific you discussed during the interview.  It’s the small details that can make all the difference. 

By leveraging these lesser known interview tricks, you can likely get a leg up on the competition and leave a great impression – and, just perhaps, win the job of your dreams!