Tips from a recruiter on how to handle In Person Interviews

Dress professionally.  A good rule of thumb is to dress one step above the standard dress code of the office.  It is still common to wear a dark suit to an interview. 

Stay away from wearing heavy perfume or cologne.  It is also important to stay away from casual or provocative clothing. 

Arrive early, but do not enter the office until 5 minutes before the scheduled interview time.  Getting to the building early will eliminate unnecessary stress but you do not want to ask for the person too early. 

Bring several copies of your resume printed on good quality paper. Make sure you have a professional notebook and a pen- you will want to take notes. 

Have a list of good questions prepared.  These questions should not be about pay, benefits, vacation etc.  Topics such as these should be saved until later.  The purpose of the first interview is to gather information about the role and the company. 

Do your research- you should spend time looking into both the company and the person conducting the interview. 

At the end of the interview ASK FOR THE JOB!  You can say, “I am very interested in this opportunity, do you have any concerns about my ability to fulfill this role?” Immediately after leaving, send a thank you note to each person you met.