| Most job candidates think their interview | | | | receptionist while waiting for your interview |
| begins when they are introduced to the | | | | to begin;When someone walks by while you're |
| interviewer at the start of the | | | | waiting and starts a brief conversation with |
| question-and-answer session. If you wait | | | | you.Those are just a few examples.Imagine Joe |
| until then to display your "best interview | | | | the candidate arriving at an office building |
| behavior," you may lose the job before you | | | | for an interview which is being held on the |
| answer the first question!This is a rather | | | | 18th floor. Joe gets into the elevator and |
| extreme example, but one of the nation's | | | | says "Good morning" to a woman who is already |
| leading airlines often flies job candidates | | | | in it. The woman responds with "Good morning. |
| to their headquarters for job interviews. The | | | | Are you here to see Mr. Jones?" Joe says |
| airline provides the round-trip airfares. | | | | "Yes. I'm interviewing with him for an |
| What the lucky candidates don't realize is | | | | engineering position." Because Joe is |
| that their tickets are "tagged" to identify | | | | nervous, he says a bit too much. "I'm really |
| them as job applicants on their way to an | | | | dreading this. I hear Jones is a grouchy old |
| interview with the airline. Those candidates | | | | bastard." The elevator arrives at the 18th |
| are being evaluated from the moment they | | | | floor and they both step out. Mr. Jones is |
| enter the airport!If candidate Mary Smith is | | | | there to greet Joe, and says, "Good morning. |
| inconsiderate to fellow passengers or rude to | | | | I see you've already met my daughter." |
| a flight attendant, for example, this | | | | (There's a TV commercial similar to this.)I'm |
| information is reported to the hiring manager | | | | not trying to make you paranoid, but if you |
| before Mary arrives for her interview. She'll | | | | suspect that every person associated with the |
| go through the interview, may do a great job | | | | company is a spy for the hiring manager, do |
| answering the questions, and will be totally | | | | you think you'll be more aware of your |
| mystified about why she is NOT selected for | | | | behavior while in their presence? You |
| the position.Here are more typical situations | | | | bet!Don't wait until you meet the interviewer |
| where your interactions with people prior to | | | | to turn on the charm. Your interview may |
| your interview may affect the hiring | | | | begin--and be over--long before you realize |
| decision:When you talk to someone from HR on | | | | it!Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job |
| the telephone to schedule your interview;When | | | | Interview Success System and free |
| you exchange small talk while riding in the | | | | information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times. |
| elevator with someone;When you talk to the | | | | |