SEARCH TACTICS
Interviewing Etiquette
( unliiuttil front ' I
lift ICO' .iiul raises I ho iO'! nt comp.ms
modic.il insui.inco li also indicates a laik ol
common sense ami 01 a dlpowei. nut to
mom it'll a possible addictin' pcrsonalils
Mlllii't a' oiteilsisc a' tile candidate who
smokes is the one who wears u>o nunh
perfume or cologne I he ideal |oh candulale
has .. Mon shtmid woai m■ allotshase
and mils enough deodoianl to s os ei up ss hat
needs it' he ensered I .>i women perfume
isn’t iorbiddcn. blit an osenlose .an lose sou
the |oh Nothinc used n am >\ me mole than
insoluntanls hailin' mi oltico lumiealed
I i e toimd that cum . Ik -a me hetoie an
inten ion. d ion enioi it can boost\oui
conlidonce (list lemoinber to spu out the
pum hetoie loin name is called l lenetalli
keep loin mouth mciedibli clean and then
don't is oil's about bad hieatli the ssoin can
be more damaging than the bieath ilsell
I hr nittnrv issue ( >■ . t the b . cast
contiadicInins in the business world concerns
the altitude loss aid monos While es eisoiu
knows that sou lake a |oh ill oidei to earn
cash and sotii bosses hope that soul ssoik
ss ill make them loads ot it to admit a
lampant desire lot monos is hopelessls
caudle Ihsciissinc salats Ivt.'ie sou leceiii
an oil ei is sti i. ils taboo It m lot mat ion about
s.ilais isn’t circulatin'..', and sou I cal I s must
know. I uni .1 \OiiKe w uti no v onnections in
MUM litters lewets ( Ithcrwise, plowed .1! VOUI
own iok
liiri'ii fll.\ I , .iu' . .kIi w till .i
smile. ,i handshake .iiul .i know ledge ol the
lompans 's noli Ik .ilion m hedule 11 ilk'
ink'll iinu'i has negledcd In mention il. sou
h.i\ e esin i right to .ok w lien sou 11110hi
expect to hoar 11 mil him Don't impls that soi
plan on seeing him again. hut 10 lease the
loom w ithoul some idea ol the Inline o to
admit dele.it
I lunik miii null's Sa.lls enough m
lo.l.o ' |oh hunting ssene. thank sou Holes
aie unik'i ess.nx Hall ol the .aiklnlak's no
tonne! turn lined last veai didn 1 send a singli
thank mhi note ami the lest need not have
done so I lie simple tael o 1I1.1I almost all
interview decisions aie made the das ol the
mtemew. it not during the inlet view ilxoll
\nv interview ptoiess that allows mole than
lim e dav s lo elapse tvl w een inters lew and
decision is hall baked Hi the- time sow lettei
eeo to the post olliee sow late has been
deieriiinied
Ihisdoi'sn t mean sou shouldn't send
thank sou notes, bill ralhei that sou should he
a w aie that llien el led o on, e le moved 11 sou
hap|k'ii lo be 110 iled b.kk to the linn lot
another round, this is when lout first thank
s on noie , an help out \ s apt is alma not, , all
ss m sou an alls for the test ol the luting
piosess l nhke all othet correspondence. il in
a means ol peisonal cotnimmiiation \\ here
possible, use H to make Ineiuis
I he worthwhile thank sou note, the one
that wins \oti support at the firm, succeeds
because it lememhers what a thank sou note
is a sincete esptession ol gialilude I font the
ilo/ens ot thank sou notes Ise receisesl I can
reitieinhei onls a less that as mails made me
teel thanked \s ssuh mlemeus. soul goal is
to make the decision maker teel good about
herselt. associate sou ssitti this teelmg and
like sou bcsause o! it Make het beheselhat
slie. through het skill, sen~.itis its, and
geneiosits. ssas so helpful during the
inters less that sou teel compelled to thank
her.
\~ alss as s. don’t go oserhouid 'i ou has e to
ask soutself ttoss enthusiasm alls giatelul and
. ompl i mental s sou can be ss i thou I coming ott
as utsinceie Ho|Vtulls sou ss ill be able to
mean it
It sou tolloss the mles ot etiquette outlined
here, sour interslessers ssill Ise much more
hkels to return the lasoi, both during the
inters less aiul alter wards I lies teali/e that
sending out a reieclntn leltei is sets bad
manners indeed
Mi Speck formerly o coordinator of analyst recruiting lor
first Boston Corp in New folk is the author ol Hot lips
Sneaky hicks & Last Ditch laities An Insider s Guide to
Getting four first Corporate Job 11989 John Wiley £
Sons)
4 Big Fish
l ontituu iI ftom -’k
in see it ttu' eioup h.is a Iik'.iI vhaptei It nm.
cull tlk' mpam/alion's iuitum.il ultiic loi i1 'in
l.ii l names
While mhi iat the librarv invesiipalc the
mam spei uili/ed business threetone-. a\ ail
able to help um idertlilv ami eontaet -.mall
lompaiD. I a example the ( oipoiate
Icilmoloev Diii'itolv. published I", t oipoiate
leclinolocv hitoimation Sen iii'a liii ill
Wohtm \l.i. mol. lliali I S.l K to pn\alt'
turns, some ol uImli oinplov onlv hi people
Don't lot pet yom lolleee connections
•ithei I’l.u ement olticcs often eet . alls lion.
Mtiall companies loohine loi lumlidates. am!
votir school's alumni otliee ean (nit vou in
tom It with alumni clubs that aie aelive in
til. aie.i Recent eiutls woikme loi small oi
medium si/ed linns ean pun ule excellent
emplownent leads and strategies
Customize your zontazts
Small companies limn m mlornulitv
I lien nianaeei s ate used i. diimp u hates ei it
takes to eet llimcs . j. nI:, mam mstum e
this means adoptme a hand- on appioaeh It it
needs to he done mil up mui sleeves and pel
going
keep ihi'. philosnphs in mind u hrii sou
.mit.ki small lompames. It die Imn docsn t
lu\ e .1 |vr sonnet manage!. ss rite In ilk* ill.ill
,1.1 nl ilk* itepaitllk'll! where will'd Ilk..' In
is m k. ni . nnl.k I Ilk him s piesideill dueslls
This appioae 11 ss ill put soil in Inin II ss nil ilk'
niL'.mi/.ilinu s ke\ decision niakeis
Keiiu nil'l l In shnswase\nui seisatilils an.I
ileilkatiim hi snui mni.kls Small lompames
air iilteiesied III ' nik 1.1. Ipialitk almm You
L'.mi gise them eanned aii'ssLis In inters k*ss
ijlk slinils sass Kali n Dnmbinss ski
I lias ii* looking lm snlkl siiki'li* la-pnns
as I mphasi/e ss h.lI > ny i an nilai aikl i nil
tribute In ilia maain/alinti nnss uni what snu
linpa In as lues e lain.
lien mil l \ lass iiu.* .s ilh small . • tup ills
manage! s, lememhei that dies piobabls can I
nialill Ilia s.ilais and Iviieltls paikages nl am
pi if ,t t i i ais Salats nil lis In mu small Ii mis i an
lv as mikh as III in 2ll' Inssei Ilian lllnse
nlleied bs I'll* iiMiipaillLs Ini sinnl.il pusi
Ik'tis t his dclk il sail he offset. hnssesci, bs
ilk* limber las els nl responsihilits and
mereass'd opportunities sou’ll leeeise Don't
make ills* mistake *| looking Ini bia enmpans
perks' in smalt business sellings When
\ihi ic csaluatinu potential cmploscrs
lemcmbei the mote mianeiblc benefits ot
mlormahts. atmosphere ami prolessiniul
crossill I laisc arc touch In (mil at a cninputn
the si/c ot ('lex eland
\S 11 i: i oh oil,a tv i cail\ lo as I
spiuklx I niikc , orpoialioiis vslicic |oli oltcis
aicn't extended tinlil (lies ic passed through a
ma/c ot oie.ituAilinnal lascis small business
■ ik moic hkcls to assess \otti Candidas s
.pis k Is I Is I lit atiil I >. Mllhloxx sk) both
us en e.l ollei' u It Inn tvs o weeks ol then tils!
inters less s
He prepared some small companies max
ollei sou a position on the spot at the end ot a
plant s i'il l! sou need more tune to consider
the oltci. licentiate toi an extension It s usti
alls best to cise xotusell at least a das to
think about ans |oh otter
Small eompanies represent a cold in ne :
careei opponumties lot ness ei.uluales Its
uncoserme hidden lead know me what small
companies need and customi/ine sour con
tacts, sou’ll erealls me h;i . bailees ol
tmdme a clullencinc lust |ob
Mt Collin- is an engineering placement counselor at the
University ol Pittsburgh