(1) tell me (as your boss) how your experience will benefit me/my company.

Don’t tell me you are smart & work hard. I’ve got 15 other people that I’ve narrowed down to who will tell me the same thing.

(2) Don’t tell me a number because if it’s too high I’ll toss your resume in the trash when you walk out. If its too low, you just saved me some money.

Say that it’s something that’s open to negotiation and that you’d like to take everything one step at a time.

(3) Higher degree will always win out. I’ll assume that you’re smarter and will do things with less instruction. Also I’ll infer that you are more polished than someone without a degree.

Don’t screw it up by talking in slang or giving me any doubts during the interview.

You need to convince me that despite your lack of experience (even though the job can be done by just about anyone) why your skills and experiences will benefit me/my company. That’s what will get you the job.

If this going to be a growth experience for you, state it. If he hires you, the job is a keeper as it probably has some advancement oppurtunities. If you don’t get hired, then it’s a dead end job.

If you don’t care & just want a job to pay the bills, state that as well. It’s ok.

I’m a young guy & when I interview people, they for some reason get incredibly familar with me. No matter what the position, I want someone who can act professional. Also be honest because after a few interviews, managers develop a BS meter.

There’s nothing magical or secret about an interview. You’d be surprised at how many people simply ignore the obvious. I recently had an ivy league grad do the following things wrong:

(1) asked the receptionist for the wrong person. She couldn’t remember by name… it’s fairly simple and I’m the only person she was meeting.

KNOW WHO YOU WILL BE INTERVIEWING.

(2) During some banter she found out that we’re only 2 years apart. She started asking me what bars I hang out in?

DON’T GET TOO COZY W/ YOUR INTERVIEWER. THEY HAVE A CERTAIN IMAGE TO MAINTAIN.

(3) I had asked her a few job related questions and I wanted to test her knowledge.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW SOMETHING. ADMIT IT. I’LL PENALIZE YOU FOR BS’ing ME.

(4) She kept telling me what an asset she would make due to her education.

I HAD 4 OTHER IVY LEAGUERS TO INTERVIEW… EACH ONE SMARTER THAN THE OTHER. ALSO SHE FAILED TO REALIZE THAT SHE MAY BE TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO DIDN’T GO TO AN IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL.

SHE NEVER TOLD ME WHAT SHE COULD OFFER MY DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF SKILLS.

The 1st sentence out of your mouth should be “Hi Mr. XXXX. I’m XXX. Thanks for meeting with me.”

The last sentence out of your mouth should be “Thanks again for your time, Mr.XXXX.”

As far as salary goes, that one is always sticky. I would research what receptionsts in that area are earning and if the question comes up, you can say “According to my research…”. That way the interviewer knows you did your homework about that job.

Don’t be afraid to tell the interviewer your strong points. That’s why they ask “What makes you more qualified than the other applicants?”. If you’re good at organization and multitasking, that will definitely be a plus for you as a receptionist. I did that for 4 years so I know what I’m talking about. Also, if you know about office machinery–copiers (how to fix paper jams is a good one), multi-line phones, and the like, mention it. Make yourself look as good as possible without sounding arrogant.

At the end of every job interview, I always shake the interviewer’s hand, look him in the eye and say “Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you soon”. It’s ok to send a thank you card a week or so after your interview. This helps the interviewer remember who you are and it shows you have good manners.

I hope this helps you land a job. Best wishes.