Heres what you better remember to do.
During ajob interview, your nerves and adrenaline may be at an all-time high.
Thats why it helps to be prepared.
Ideally, the actual experiences and skills that you share will help you stand out.
But how you end the interview can leave a really critical last impression.
I have seen a good interview get docked a little bit because of how badly the end went.
Heres what you gotta remember to do:
1.
DO come prepared with targeted questions that show you have done your research.
But DONT invite criticism.
Dont say you have no questions and call it a day.
Thats not a good sign.
It signals a lack of interest, a lack of strategic ability, a lack of experience.
How will you know whether you hired the right person three months from now?
What are the most successful team members doing differently from the average team member?
If you are seeking more hands-on management, ask, What does your onboarding process look like?
You learn right away whether you are going to be thrown to the wolves, Watkins said.
That really helps interviewers have one last chance to get a sign on anything thats missing, Watkins explained.
Keep in mind that there are questions that can do more harm than good.
Space warned against asking a question like Do you have any reservations about me?
because he has seen firsthand how this question can backfire.
What you are doing is asking this person to think about you in a negative light, Space said.
And Ive met so many managers who just feel incredibly awkward after being asked that.
Is that really the impression you want to leave?
DO thank people by name and make eye contact.
But if you want to go one step further, make a point to thank them by name.
For better or for worse, how people feel in an interview, its a bias, Hunting said.
Its going to skew them one way or the other.
DO clarify if a thank-you note is expected.
And if yes, DO follow up with a personalized one to keep the conversation going.
Thanking people in a follow-up notecan be helpful on a case-by-case basis.
When in doubt, Hunting recommends determining what the expectations may be regarding thank-you notes.
Make a point to ensure your message isnt generic.
Often, people write something like, I really enjoyed talking to you about X/Y/Z position.
If you have any questions about X position, let me know.
Well, yeah, thats obvious, Watkins said.
What I would like to see people do is use that as an opportunity to sell themselves.
You are your best marketer, regardless [of] what it is that you do.
This article originally appeared onHuffPost.
