Your cover letter dazzled them, your resume is the best the Hiring Manager has ever seen and all your efforts have paid off because now you’ve been offered the interview.  The final hurdle.

Let’s agree the majority of people going for an interview will be nervous, scared and apprehensive. But they are no reasons for not conducting yourself in a proper way and being polite. Put yourself in the shoes of the Hiring Manager.

Do you want someone sitting opposite you:

• with their hands in their pockets

• with no eye contact

• mumbling their answers

• telling offensive jokes

You wouldn’t and nor would I.

It’s easy to conduct yourself well and be polite.

To give yourself an advantage over others follow these polite practices:

Arrive ahead of time.

It’s bad manners to walk into an interview after the agreed start time. It really annoys me and the applicant will have to be outstanding to win the job. Of course, there are going to be times when circumstances are outside of your control. If that were to happen, I would suggest you call ahead and let the Hiring Manager know you are going to be late. But always aim to arrive at least ten minutes early so you can freshen up, catch your breath, sit quietly in the lobby reviewing your notes.

Listen and Focus.

Focus your mind and take in what the interviewer is saying. If you miss a detail or don’t understand what is said, ask politely for it to be repeated. It may help to have a small notepad and pen in your hand. (You can enter the interview with a pen and notepad. You can have your personal work experience examples written down. The interview is not a memory test – you can have a pad of notes to refer to).

Jot down items that are of importance to you while the interviewer is speaking.  You might even tell the interviewer ahead of time that you’ll be taking notes because you don’t want to miss anything. Ask if that is OK? I do. That too, is a sign of good manners. You’re letting the other person know that you’re serious about the job in question.

Maintain good eye contact.

How does it feel when you are talking to someone who just won’t look at you? Horrible! Untrusting! So make sure you do maintain eye contact with the Hiring Manger, as it is not only polite, it’s good business practice. It assures the other person of your sincerity and genuine interest. And it will remind him or her to return the eye contact.

Say thank you.

At the close of the interview, be sure to shake hands, smile and express how much you appreciate the time and the information you received.

Remember, everyone likes to be acknowledged and thanked. Those who express gratitude will not be forgotten because it is so rare for people today to share genuine thanks. Then follow up with a thank you note in your handwriting.

For example:

Thank you for taking the time to discuss the position of xxxxxx with me. After meeting with you and getting the opportunity to see and hear more about your plans for the future of xxxxxx, I was certainly impressed.

I am convinced that my experience and customer service skills coincide well with your needs and in addition, I can promise to bring the commitment and enthusiasm that are so important in a position such as this.

I look forward to hearing from you concerning your decision of the hiring process and, once again, thank you for your time and consideration.

Simple and to the point.

That will seal the deal and give you a good chance of winning a second interview—or even the job itself.

So make sure you overcome the final hurdle of the interview, keep your conduct professional and are offered the job.