An Interviewer's Guide to What Makes a Great Interview

Part of my job as a customer service manager is interviewing and hiring employees. Earlier this week I had to interview about five people and I was shocked at how poorly they performed during their respective interviews. I interviewed people from a 16 year-old girl to a 40-something man; not a single one of them stood out. It seems as if the cross-section of today's candidates is woefully ill prepared to participate in a job-landing interview. The following is a list of tips and ideas that can be used to ace said interview; to show your possible employer why they should choose you over all the others available for the position.

Be On Time. If I could, as an interviewer, put an emphasis on one thing above anything else, punctuality would be it. Regardless of how well you answer the interviewer's questions, if you are late for the interview, it will be remembered and quite possibly could be the single thing that keeps you from getting the job over someone else. If this means that you need to wake up at 6:00AM to be on time to a 9:00AM interview, then that is what you have to do.

Dress Nicely. A wrinkled t-shirt and baggy jeans would definitely be a way to lose your bid for a job. A general rule of thumb would be dress one step above what you would need to wear for the position on a normal workday. For example, if standard uniform is a polo shirt and dress pants, show up with a shirt and tie. Not only will this make you look good, but it will show that you have desire for the position.

Cologne and Perfume. If a person smells as if they have just taken a bath in body spray or showered with perfume, it will make them less attractive to an employer. If you wear some sort of scent, keep it subtle.

Jewelry. This means necklaces, rings, body piercings, and anything else of the sort. Don't ever come to an interview dressed like you could be the King or Queen of England. A simple necklace would suffice no need to wear seven of them and then top it off with a set of bangles on your wrists. If you have your ears pierced, again, keep it subtle; by this I mean don't wear a huge hoop earring or a big diamond on your ear. Gaudy is never a good thing. If you have your lip or eyebrow pierced, take it out just for the interview, you will look much more professional. Along with this, if you have a tattoo, that is completely fine! Showing off your tattoo, on the other hand, isn't something you should do when trying to be professional.

Bring a Pen. This one might not sound like a big deal, and to be honest, as an interviewer, it isn't a one at all. Bringing a pen does show one thing however, that may just give you the edge needed to get hired, being prepared. This is another one of those things that shows that you really want the job you are being interviewed for.

Introduction. When you are going to an interview, be sure to introduce yourself. "Hi, my name is (insert name here). I have an interview today!" Be enthusiastic, the last thing a company wants is an employee that doesn't have a good attitude. A big part of the introduction is the next tip:

Handshake. The importance of the handshake is often underrated. Whether you are a male or a female, a good handshake says a lot about a person. When you introduce yourself, stick your hand out there and give a good, firm handshake. Thumb-to-thumb, and firm; don't grab the person's fingers and shake them, shake the entire hand. Be careful though, firm does not mean grab the person's hand and crush it, you aren't out to prove you are stronger, just that you have a firm handshake.

Eye Contact. Make eye contact, make eye contact, make eye contact! When answering questions, when introducing yourself, when leaving, no matter when in the interview, when you are speaking, or being spoken to, make eye contact. Making eye contact shows that you are ready and willing to confront anything that is thrown your way.

Speak Loudly. When speaking, make sure your interviewer can hear you. Nothing is more annoying than having to repeatedly question what was just said. Speak so your voice can be heard and enunciate so the words are clear. Mumbling is always poor form.

Truthful and Direct. Always be truthful and direct with your answers. Don't dance around the answer and finally get to a conclusion only to disappoint the interviewer. This doesn't mean that answering everything with a yes or no will work, in fact in some cases, a longer answer is the necessary one. The age-old saying is as follows, "honesty is the best policy" and it holds true in and interview. There are many facial and vocal giveaways that show when someone is lying, and interviewers notice.

Chewing Gum. Don't ever chew gum in an interview, the interviewer doesn't want to see your impression of a cow.

Cell Phone. If you brought your cell phone with you, leave it in your car before the interview. Rather than taking the chance of having your cell phone vibrate, or even worse, ring, in the middle of your interview, just leave it in the car and don't risk it.

Availability. Work with employers with availability. If you can work every other Saturday, make sure you tell them that; don't just say that you can't work on Saturdays. The more open your availability is, the more willing an employer is to hire you.

Closing. The closing is always an important part of an interview. Make sure that you thank the person interviewing you and wish them a good day. A handshake at the end is always a nice touch. Another quick way to be beat out by another candidate is by giving a terrible closing. You want to be remembered in a positive way, a good closing is a big help.

When going to an interview, the best piece of advice would be to go on time and prepared. Imagine yourself as the owner of a business, who would you like to hire? A wrinkled shirt, baggy short wearing person who has all kinds of experience, but shows up to your interview late and is rude; or would you hire the punctual, well-dressed, direct and polite person who has much less experience? Sure, the employee with experience will be good in the short-run; however in the long run, the less experienced employee will cause fewer problems and be a much better employee. The point being that if you have a good interview, experience and qualifications could be overlooked and you could be hired based on attitude. A good interview is all it takes to launch you into your career of a lifetime, and interview skills are tools that everyone should know, not only for employment, but also for life.