We don’t know how, but bad interview advice is spreading like wildfire. Read this first before you make one of these mistakes!
Myth: You must show up 15 minutes early for an interview.
Fact: Arriving early definitely beats arriving late, but it’s better to sit in Starbucks for a few minutes than call an editor to let her know you’re early…and waiting for her. She may have a conference room booked at a certain time or be busy with something else until your appointment. Since you’ll have to wait for her either way, it’s a good idea to take the route that’s less likely to annoy her.
Myth: If your interviewer hasn’t brought you to her office yet, find your way there.
Fact: The editor you’re meeting with will come meet you when she’s ready. If you show up at her desk, she may not be prepared to meet with you and, worse, could be irritated about the surprise. If there’s a reception area, sit and wait for her there. Read a copy of the magazine or look over your resume to remind yourself of all your great experience while you wait. If there’s no logical place to sit, just stand by the entrance to the floor until she finds you, but keep your cell handy in case she’s having trouble locating you.
Myth: You must talk about all of your journalism experience in the interview.
Fact: Your meeting will probably be brief, so it’s best to focus on the most relevant work you’ve done. While it’s great that you’re editor of your school’s business magazine, if you’re interviewing at a women’s magazine, don’t forget to talk about how you wrote for your local paper’s lifestyle section. But, if you did something particularly impressive for a different kind of publication, it’s okay to work it in if an opportunity presents itself.
Myth: As long as you’re dressed professionally, your appearance doesn’t matter.
Fact: This is so, so wrong. Ed recently met with a suit-wearing applicant (this is magazines, people! no need to show up in a business suit!) who had chipping blue nail polish on every other finger and numbers scribbled in pen all over her hands. Besides the fact that the latter was just bizarre, Ed was too busy trying to figure out a. what the numbers meant, and b. why she didn’t wash her hands before the interview to fully appreciate her answers to Ed’s questions. So avoid trying out wacky hairdos, experimental makeup combinations, and anything else that could potentially distract an interviewer.
Myth: There’s no need to send a thank you note if you don’t think the interview went well.
Fact: Just because you don’t think you have a shot at getting the job doesn’t mean the person who just met you agrees. In fact, Ed was on the fence about an applicant recently so he waited a week to see if he heard from her again. Nada. Guess who didn’t get the job?