Interview Etiquette (that Would Make Grandmother Proud)

by Erin O'Connor Jones, Director of Candidate Services

Everyone worries about job interviews and how to make a great first impression. Once you've been invited for an interview, you'll want to remember your best manners. What are they? And have they changed since you last did an interview?

You’ve landed the interview? What should you wear?

An accomplished, senior nonprofit executive once gave me the best advice for interviewing: “Always look as if you are going to another appointment, or are heading out for another interview after this one.” I offer this advice to job seekers, because it is still true that you won’t have another chance to make a first impression – this is it!

While you shouldn’t wear your blue pinstriped suit and diamond cufflinks to an interview to become a local community organizer, you should still be a little dressier than the culture of the organization might bear. Even if it is a summer camp position, a program director for an outdoor exploration program, or the CEO position, you’ll want to look your best. Unless it’s certain, leave your jeans, baseball hats and sneakers at home. This is definitely not the time to take a fashion risk. 

You prepared an outstanding resume and cover letter, but have you prepared your questions for the interview?

Take a deep breath, and think of your dream interview. What happens in the dream? Are you conversant, well-prepared with interesting and relevant questions? Do you know about the staff and the mission? Do you know the history of the organization? Have you found out about their budget, their major funders, their service population?

You can never know too much before the interview, and research is your friend. In addition to spending significant time on the organization’s website, information about all nonprofit organizations can be found at www.guidestar.org. Type in the organization name, and you’ll have access to the names of their board members, mission, vision and even goals that have been achieved during their last fiscal year. In addition to seeing their IRS 990, you’ll be able to read about their balance sheet and really look as if you’ve done your homework.

Do people still write thank you notes?

Yes they do, and so should you. I recommend a hand-written note whenever possible. The note should thank the person, and highlight one or two important things that you learned during the interview.

“Dear Ms. Warner,
Thank you for your time today. I enjoyed meeting you and David Walsh, your CFO. I am impressed by your strategic goals, and the key role the Chief Operating Officer will play in meeting the agency’s strategic directions. As we discussed, I have demonstrated experience in program development and expansion, and would definitely be an excellent addition to your team. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely, Mary Jane Smith.”

If you don’t have time for a personal, handwritten note (or your handwriting is horrible), an email is better than NO note at all. In a day of a million emails (or even 1,000), your handwritten note will have a lasting impression, especially when your potential new boss leaves it sitting on his or her desk for days; an email is easy to delete, but no one likes to throw away finely crafted personal notes, after all. It will serve as a reminder to contact you or, better yet, offer you the position! 

How should you treat your references?

Your greatest allies in your job search are well-prepared references. Once you’ve identified your references, prepare them to be good ones. Remember that your references not only help you get the job and but can tell your new boss know how to help you keep the job once you are there.

Assuming that you’ve already asked their permission – a must! – let them know that you are being considered for this specific position. If possible, send along a copy of the job description or posting along with another copy of your resume. They should be able to speak to your strengths and weaknesses without much prompting. Tell them directly why you are a good candidate, and cite specific examples to help them remember your outstanding qualities.

Be careful not to overly script them, however. I once had a candidate that “overprepared” her references, and every person said the same thing about her. This led me to worry that I was missing something potentially troublesome lurking behind carefully their phrased answers and I asked for other references. Luckily, these additional references only led me to learn many more good things about the candidate whom I eventually hired. Had I not asked for these other references, my lingering doubt might have led to make the offer to someone else, a loss for the candidate, my organization, and me as a manager. 

You’ve Done Everything Right, Now What?

Etiquette goes way beyond knowing which fork to use during dinner or whether your bread plate is to your left or right (it’s on the left!). During the job seeking process, you’ll need to put your best foot and your best manners forward. Many positions are lost opportunities because a candidate is late for appointments, doesn’t use spell check, made a poor presentation, or didn’t do their homework. If you consider yourself a serious candidate for a position, then take the opportunity to show your best professional and personal self from beginning to end.

Did you land your dream job? If so, congratulations! If not, review your job search strategies and outcomes with a check list of activities. As you move through the job search process, there are countless points to remember and tracking your search process will make it manageable. Make a list, and check off the items as you complete each one; make notes on what came easily and what was challenging. You won’t make the same mistake twice.