It’s a good idea to accompany an interview with a thank you card or email.
Lunch interviews are becoming more common in many professional fields. While a regular job interview requires a certain skill set, a lunch interview can be especially tricky. However, if you are faced with one, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of landing that job interview.
For starters, obey all the rules of a regular job interview. Dress appropriately, arrive on time, and bring all the necessary documents in a briefcase that’s easy to store in case your potential employer wants to wait until after dessert to take a look. Being late for a job interview is always off-limits, but being late for an interview for lunch is particularly harmful. People often give interviews over lunch because they don’t have time to meet with you at the office; if you are late, you are seriously reducing your chances of getting the job.
It’s best to avoid dirty dishes like spaghetti during a lunch interview.
A job interview conducted over lunch gives you an opportunity to show off your table manners. If you can’t remember where the napkin goes or which fork to use, practice before the actual job interview. If you smoke, avoid the temptation, even if the restaurant allows it. Keep your elbows off the table, turn off your cell phone, and don’t order anything too dirty to eat like fried chicken or pasta.
A person who tips a waiter after a job interview at lunch.
When it comes to decluttering during a job interview, always let others be your guide. Order something in the same price range and skip the booze if no one else wants it. If you are forced to order first, opt for bottled water and don’t select anything too expensive. Always try to capture what the other person is doing and try to mirror that. Are you ordering dessert? Join him. Are you eating slowly and talking between bites? Do the same.
Remember to be courteous to the people around you. The way you talk to the waiter says a lot about you and can make a world of difference to the person across the table. After the job interview is over, remember to send a thank you note.