During the Interview

Be sure to greet and shake hands with each individual you meet.
It is common in American business culture to shake hands with those you first meet. By shaking hands you are showing a sign of respect and making physical contact with those you meet. Also, making physical contact with an individual will have a much greater positive impact on their impression of you, if handled properly. The general rule for shaking hands is for the receiver of the handshake to adjust his or her grip depending on the individual who initiates the handshake. Before shaking hands, be sure they are clean and not sweating, clammy or cold because this may come across as unfavorable.

Pay attention to the atmosphere and culture of the company.

Do the people seem happy? Are they helpful? Are they enthusiastic about their work? Do you feel welcome? Do you like the people? Does this seem like a good place to work?

Pay close attention to the non-verbal cues.

Non-verbal cues are any gestures or ways in which we communicate without using words. These can include but are not limited to body posture, facial expressions, gesturing of hands and eye contact. Non-verbal cues help us in evaluating situations and determining our effect on others.

Stay away from salary negotiations.

Salary negotiations take place only after you have received a job offer.

Ask when a hiring decision will be made about the position.

This will give you an approximate date by which you can expect to receive a telephone call or e-mail regarding the hiring status.

Get business cards from all the interviewers.

The business cards you collect will come in handy later when writing thank you letters or notes and when following-up after the interview. In addition, the business cards should be kept in a network file for later use.