The Interview Begins
Usually the receptionist will announce your arrival to the interviewer and she will come out to the waiting area to greet you. This is the only chance you will have to make a good first impression. While your behavior during the interview is important, a bad first impression will be very difficult to overcome.
Meeting the Interviewer
When you first meet the interviewer, you must appear confident, but not smug. You should be assertive, but not aggressive. You should be friendly, but not overly familiar.
When the interviewer comes out to greet you, the first thing you should do is introduce yourself to him using your first and last name. Do not address him by his first name. Your introduction should sound something like this (feel free to use your own variation): “Hello, Mr. Smith. I'm Joan Brown. It's nice to meet you.” You should be ready to shake his hand, but do not offer your hand first. Doing so can put you in an awkward situation if the interviewer does not offer his hand in return.
Fact
As you proceed to the site of the interview, the interviewer may try to make small talk. Stick to things like the weather and stay away from how your favorite team played last night. Your favorite team may turn out to be his team's archrival, which could result in an awkward moment you don't really need at this point.
Getting Started
Once you arrive in the office where your interview will be held, etiquette dictates that you wait for the interviewer to offer you a seat. However, just because someone is in a position to interview you does not mean he has manners. If the interviewer sits down without first offering you a seat, sit down across from him or wherever there is an available seat. He is probably in a hurry to get the interview started, so do not waste any time. Get the copies of your resume, portfolio, notebook, and pen ready so you will not have to fumble around trying to find them later.
