Submitting a resume and cover letter and preparing to answer the right questions for a job interview is easy, but there’s a huge difference between right answers and authentic ones. 

Here are some interview tips guaranteed to make you stand out during your next job interview:

1. Don’t talk negatively about your previous employer or job

Avoid this, even if it’s well-deserved. 

Employers are looking to see your personality, honesty and values during a job interview. An employer does not want to hear about conflicts in previous work environments. Just like you wouldn’t air out your dirty laundry on a first date, an employer does not want to hear about the past, but rather what you can offer to the company in the future.

 “Something that would turn me off [during a job interview] is when a person is complaining about old jobs or coworkers, or is trying to request time off during the interview,” said Christina Henneke, owner of Swindlers clothing store on University Boulevard.

2. Make sure to follow up after the interview

Whether it’s a simple “Thank you” email or asking a follow up question, employers appreciate small gestures. This makes you seem like you genuinely care about getting the position.

3. Don’t show up to the interview without having researched the company prior

Missing this step makes the interview a waste of everyone’s time. Taking 10 minutes to briefly research the company provides potential employees with background insight and valuable information necessary for an effective conversation. 

Make sure to ask questions after the interview. This shows you are willing to put yourself out there in order to learn more about the company.

4. Make sure to schedule the interview for first thing in the morning

Make sure to thank the interviewer for meeting with you on first arrival. A simple please and thank you goes a long way. 

A study conducted by ScienceDaily found “circumstances under which decisions must be made quickly or without much deliberation, preferences are unconsciously and immediately guided to those options presented first,” according to Dana Carney, an assistant professor of management at the University of California, Berkeley. 

In other words, the early bird gets the worm.

5. Don’t have inappropriate content on your social media

An employee inadvertently reflects the company he or she works for, and if you are putting tasteless content on the Internet, it reflects poorly on the company and yourself. Employers screen the social media presence of potential employees 91 percent of the time, according to Ad Week. 

Everyone knows you partied in college, but you don’t need the photos floating around to prove the point.

6. Make sure to dress and act the part

Fashion designer Tom Ford once said “dressing well is a form of good manners.” 

It only takes a minute for a person to form an opinion of you based on a first impression. Dress professionally, get a good night’s sleep, shower before the interview and do not walk in to that interview room with gum in your mouth. An unkempt appearance is a disrespectful, unprofessional and ultimately distracting to the interviewer.

The dos and the do nots of getting a job are simple but make all the difference in actually landing the job. Apply these to your next job search and success will find you.

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