Your Greeting

Okay, so I’ve asked you to grin at strangers and pump a few people’s arms. What could possibly be next, you wonder? Riding a horse backward? Scaling the face of a mountain? Well, you’re off the hook. Fortunately, those are not the skills you need to succeed at most interviews. The next four points are very easy and require no extracurricular practice:

1. Address the interviewer as Ms. or Mr., and introduce yourself by your first and last names. It will sound something like, “Hello, Mr. Isaacs. I’m Susan Sallinger. Thank you for seeing me today.” You’ll be smiling warmly and offering a professional handshake at the same time. After the introduction, the interviewer will ask you to sit down. Don’t sit down until he or she asks you to. If he or she does not ask, say, politely, “May I have a seat, please?”

2. If it’s a small office or you are very close to his or her desk, you may feel tempted to put your notepad or some other article like a purse on the desk. Don’t. The desk is the territory of the interviewer, and he or she will
feel encroached upon if you pass that invisible line of his or her space and your space. Putting any item, including your hands or elbows on the desk will be taken as a sign of disrespect and an unconscious threat. If you wish to take notes, hold your notebook on your lap.

3. Don’t take any beverages into the interviewer’s office— spills or choking can be embarrassing and inconvenient. Even if you are offered coffee, it’s quite all right to politely decline.

4. Turn your pager and cell phone off! If you forget and it happens to ring, do not glance to see who called. Simply apologize for the interruption and turn off the device.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job