Ending the interview early to save them time
You’ve made your case for why you’re a perfect fit for the job and things have gone well, but all good things must come to an end. Eventually, the conversation will hit a lull or fall flat, so why not save everyone the awkwardness of that moment and end the interview? After all, you want to respect their time. But here’s the thing: This highlights the awkwardness of the situation and makes things worse. Plus, they’ve already set aside this time to get to know you. “It seems more disrespectful to schedule time that you are not using for well-thought-out questions,” Dr Sangwan says.
Do this instead: “Bring the conversation to a natural conclusion by summarising what you’ve heard,” Dr Sangwan suggests. Consider sharing the unique aspects of the company culture that impressed you or how your passion, experience and skill set would contribute to the team and company achieving their goals. The key is to keep the conversation going in an organic, natural way. “Be ready to ask thoughtful and relevant questions demonstrating your understanding of the company and position,” Boloban says.
Don’t think only extroverts make an impact. Check out these 18 jobs that particularly suit introverts.
Sending a thank-you note right away
Of course it’s polite to send a thank-you note, and you might think the sooner, the better. After all, you want to keep the good vibes going and show your interviewer just how interested you are in the job. The problem? If you send it immediately – like, right after the interview – it may feel impersonal. “Remember, interviewers are looking for genuine interest in their company, not just formality,” Satish says. How can you even have time to process your meeting and really think on it if you’re shooting off an email minutes later?
Do this instead: Send a thank-you email the next day. And when you do, “specifically call out points from your conversation and offer any supplemental information you discussed, like a personal website, a book recommendation or an article link,” Satish says. This will show your interviewer that you know how to follow up appropriately. And in case you were wondering, an email thank-you is absolutely fine and even preferable, since many people work remotely or hybrid and snail mail may take too long to get to them.
Showing up early to a video interview
It’s common knowledge that you should show up about 10 minutes early for an interview, right? Well, yes … but only if that interview is in person. “I’d encourage candidates not to log onto a remote video interview prior to the start time,” Satish says, noting that the interviewer needs time to check their own audio, background, camera and more. If you log on too early, you might be inadvertently taking away their visual prep time and stressing them out. After all, they feel pressure too because it’s uncomfortable to keep someone waiting.
Do this instead: Log on 30 seconds after the interview start time. “Your interviewer will thank you,” Satish says. You should also familiarise yourself with these Zoom etiquette rules, making sure you’re in a well-lit, quiet location and acting as professionally as you would if you were meeting in person.
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Source: RD.com
