So, I went for an interview today. For a job.
Wait, I got an interview? So I sort-of know what I’m talking about sometimes?
Yep. And it went well, too!
So what did I do that helped things go well?
Besides pulling off what I thought was a decent handshake, I kept rapport with the interviewer, stayed on topic, used some stories and previous experiences to help support why the firm should hire me, and asked questions when the interview concluded.
I know that we’ve only covered one of those in any detail, but over the next few weeks, I’ll go over these topics with you. But there’s one thing that I always do (and did today) that probably helped.
I talked with the receptionist.
If you want to get a good feel for the workplace environment, how smoothly things are run, and the type of people you’ll be working with, talk to the person at the front desk. After all, the company has chosen this person to be the first representative that you see when you walk in the door. And as they usually deal with a good number of other people in the office, seeing how they act around your potential co-workers and boss(es) is a great way to get a sense of the office culture.
You can talk about anything, though sticking with small talk and pleasant (and neutral) topics can help. You don’t want to share details of last weekend’s debauchery, or that rash you’ve been getting on your armpit (unless you’re going to be working in the nightlife or dermatology industries), but rather things like music, the career field, something you’ve noticed about the office, and so on.
This also helps in three other ways: 1) your interviewer will see that you’re a social, pleasant person when they come to meet you (judging by how your conversation with the receptionist is going); 2) the receptionist may be the one filing your file, and would be more inclined to make sure it doesn’t go into the “put off unless we’re REALLY desperate for help” files; and 3) you can make a new friend!
