All about Job Hunting Etiquette and What to Do in an Interview

In today's economic conditions, etiquettes of job hunting have never been more important. How you present yourself, what you say, how you say it are just a few of the things that can set you apart from the competition.

It all starts with your resume. Your resume is likely the first chance you have to make an impression on a potential employer. When it comes to proper job hunting etiquette, here are some of the chief things to keep in mind when preparing your resume:

• Use good quality paper.
• Include only information that is pertinent to the job you are applying for.
• Research various styles until you find the one that best suits your background. Some are designed to highlight education, others your work history.
• Use past tense when referring to job duties that are not current.
• Use active verbs.
• Be as specific as possible.
• Make sure there are no typographical or grammatical errors.

You may also want to consider hiring a professional resume writer. This is a great way to have a stellar resume that can make a huge difference in whether you get a foot in the door or not.



Now once you have your foot in the door and have an actual interview set up, you want to carefully choose what you are going to wear. A good job-hunting etiquette is to find out what sort of dress code a company has, then dress accordingly. And even when interviewing at a business that is extremely casual and laid-back, you still want to dress at a higher level than may be required. It shows an employer you care enough about getting the job and that you are willing to put in extra effort.

Before the interview, proper job hunting etiquette calls for you to do some homework about the company or business where you are interviewing. You want to show the employer that you know about them and have conducted some research on the industry. Also, be sure to get detailed directions to the company. The last thing you want to do is to be late for your interview!

You can also adopt a few of the following tips:
Stand also when being introduced
Wear a smile as much as possible
Give a firm handshake with you right hand
Make and maintain eye contact
Have extra copies of your resume and any other important information with you
Listen carefully
Ask questions whenever possible

One thing you definitely do not want to do during the interview is to talk about salary or benefits unless the interviewer brings these topics up. Discussing the position and its requirements are excellent, but today's job hunting etiquette says that money talk during a first interview is a huge faux pas. You want to seem eager to get the job and interested in it, not the salary.

Finally, after your interview, you will want to send a thank you card or note immediately. Do not wait for a week to do this. Send it within 24 hours and definitely within 48 hours. You want to show appreciation for the interview, but it is also a good and simple way to express your interest in the position.