The questions you ask can either make or break your interview. You want to make sure that you ask thoughtful questions that show your excitement for the position, and that you know which ones to avoid.

We will go over the kinds of questions you should avoid, provide some example questions, and we will go over some good questions to ask your interviewer.

• You should avoid asking any personal questions to your interviewer because it is unprofessional.

• Avoid asking any questions that you can find out with doing your own research.

• Asking questions is your opportunity to learn about the specifics of the job and show the interviewer that you are the perfect candidate for the positon.

Types of Questions to Avoid Asking

• Personal questions. Asking your interviewer personal questions during your interview can be see as unprofessional and inappropriate. It can result in your interviewer to become uncomfortable and will not end well for your interview.

• Salary and benefits. You should avoid asking the interviewer any questions related to salary and benefits unless they bring it up themselves. This could have a negative impact on how the interviewer sees you as a candidate.

• Basic questions. You should do your research on the position and the company before you come to the interview. Asking things about the company will show the interviewer that you didn’t do your research and might not really be interested in the position.

• Asking about other jobs or positions. When you start to ask about other jobs or positions within the company, the interviewer might view this as you are not serious about the position you applied for.

• Changes about the position or environment. If you start asking about making changes to what the position does or the company culture, it may come across as demanding and inconsiderate.

• Questions that start with “why”. These types of questions tend to put people on the defensive. You don’t want to sound like you are interrogating your interviewer. Try rewording your question so it doesn’t sound like an accusation.

Questions to Avoid Asking an Interviewer

1. Can I do this job From home? This could be a good question to ask once you’ve gotten a job offer, but until that time comes, it’s best not to bring it up to employers.

   Yes, working from home in your jammies snuggled up with your cat is an amazing experience unparalleled by any other, but asking to work from home implies that you don’t work well under supervision, you don’t like to work with other people, or that you have a complicated schedule to work around.

   If this is a telecommuting or remote position, it would probably be stated in the job description. Occasionally, employees who have been with a company for a long period of time are given the option to telecommute, but it’s not something you should ask for during your interview.

2. How many hours will I be expected to work each week? Will I need to work weekends? Asking questions like these will make employers think that you’re hoping to work as little as possible, or that you’re just straight-up lazy.

   A better question you could ask would be “What does a typical day working in this position look like?” The answer will go into your general responsibilities, and, yes, your expected work hours.

3. How long will I have to wait to get promoted? You probably think that this makes you come off as eager and ready to succeed, but in reality, it just makes you look like you’re not excited for the position at hand and that you’re just waiting to move onto something better.

   Instead, you should ask questions like “What are some of the opportunities for growth with this position?” or “What do I need to do to be considered successful in this position?”

   Questions like these show that you’re ready to work hard in the position you’re interviewing for, instead of making it seem like you’re just waiting for a better opportunity to roll around.

4. What exactly would I be doing everyday? Did you even read the job description? If you bring up this question in a job interview, the employer is certainly going to think that you didn’t. That’s a fast and easy way to get yourself removed from the hiring process. So if you really don’t want this job, go ahead and ask!

   Instead, you should ask questions about the nature of the job. If you’re still unsure after discussing the position with your interviewer, you can ask something along the lines of “What kinds of projects would I be actively engaged in, and what are the most important goals for this position?”

   You can also inquire about how your work will be measured, standard KPIs, and what priorities you’ll have. This will answer the heart of your question without seeming ignorant.

5. What does your company do? You should really do this kind of research before the interview. Asking a question like this will show the interviewer that you haven’t done anything to learn about the company, which will imply that you have no genuine interest in the position.

   Things you should know about the company include:

   • What products or services they produce and/or provide

   • Who their target audience is

   • Roughly how large they are/how much they make

   • How many locations they have and where they are, generally

   • Who their biggest competitors are

   • What challenges are they currently facing

   If you make it through the interview unscathed, go home and look up the company website as soon as possible and learn about their history, their mission, and their services. But while you’re there, don’t ask any questions about the company that you could have easily found on their website.

6. When can I take time off for vacation? You haven’t even been hired and you’re already trying to plan for your vacation? Well, that’s one way to show employers that you don’t really care about actually working for them.

   Seriously though, asking about time off before getting a job offer only shows employers that you’re not going to be a fully committed employee. Save the questions about leave and benefits for after you get the job offer.

7. What is the salary for this position? This isn’t a question you should bring up to an employer during your first interview. In, fact, many interviewers will probably ask about your salary requirements if they’re thinking of hiring you.

   When asked about your salary requirements, give a range based on salary research you’ve done for the job title, region, and experience level. Aim on the high end of the spectrum, but leave it negotiable.

   While you should certainly be armed with a ready answer to questions about salary, you shouldn’t be the one to bring it up, especially in the earlier rounds of interviews.

8. What type of health insurance does this company offer? Again, wait until you receive a job offer before you start asking questions about salary and benefits. On the other hand, if there’s a specific benefit that you require from a job, like a particular type of healthcare or childcare services, bring it up with human resources rather than the interviewer.

   Questions about what’s included in the benefits package and what perks you can expect are offputting for hiring managers and recruiters. They’ll assume that you mostly want the job for the money, vacation time, retirement plan, and insurance (which, sure, you do).

   But the point of an interview is to emphasize enthusiasm for the role and a high level of competency for succeeding in that role. Your conversation should be mostly employer-focused; everything you say should be aimed at selling the hiring manager on the value you can offer the company.

9. Do you check references? Asking this question will probably make your interviewer think that you don’t have a solid list of references, which could also make them think that maybe you’ve been fired, or maybe you’re just a sketchy person.

   Do everything you can to secure a strong list of references. But if for some reason you have a problem doing so, wait for the interviewer to bring it up before sharing any information about your reference situation. Because you’d better believe that if you ask if they’ll be checking references, they’ll 100% be checking yours.

10. Did I get the job? This is just a rookie move. Asking if you’re going to get the job during an interview puts employers on the spot and makes you seem like you lack patience. Plus, it also just makes you look like you have no understanding of how to act in professional situations.

    If you really want to know when you’ll learn your fate with the company, you can ask them questions like, “Do you typically do multiple rounds of interviews with candidates?” Otherwise, just learn to be patient.

Good Questions to Ask During an Interview

1. What are the biggest challenges for someone in this position? This is a great question to ask because it achieves both things we just talked about — it gives you insight into the day-to-day life on the job while also portraying you as a candidate who cares deeply about addressing those problems from day one.

   If the challenges sound uninteresting or overwhelming to you, then you’ve just found out this job isn’t a good fit. And if the issues the company or department is facing sound exciting and like something you’d enjoy working on, then you’ll be able to speak confidently on those subjects for the rest of the interview.

2. What are the expectations for the first 30/60/90 days in this role? Asking about what tangible results an employer would like to see from someone working in this position can tell you a lot. You might get bogged down in the responsibilities listed in the job description and miss the forest for the trees.

   A question like this shows that you’re thinking big picture while also informing you about what the ultimate aims of your department are.

3. What does collaboration look like in this role? This question immediately sets you apart as a team player who’s already thinking about how the role fits into a grander scheme.

   When you ask about the people you’ll be working with and in what capacity, the hiring manager or recruiter will have an easier time envisioning you already working alongside existing employees.

4. What do you like about working here? A question like this or the even more focused “can you tell me about the company culture here with examples” are great for sussing out what things are really like. Of course, interviewers are also making a sales pitch for their company, but the goal here is to achieve some insight into the culture.

   By asking for examples of how corporate values play out in reality, you’ll get a more complete picture of the work environment. Plus, asking a question like this shows that you care about fitting into the existing culture enough to learn more and adapt.

Other Questions to Avoid Asking

• Do you drug test?

• What’s your sign?

• How long are breaks and how many breaks do we get?

• Can I bring my dogs/kids to work?

• What is your policy for warnings?

• Are you going to monitor my internet usage?

• How late can I come in?

• Can I add you on social media?

• Do you care about dress code?

• Do you like your boss?

• Who are your main competitors

Final Thoughts

When an interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” it’s not an invitation for you to ask about all the time you’re going to get off or how much money you’re going to make.

Instead, use this opportunity to learn about the specifics of the job and show the interviewer that you have a strong work ethic and you’re excited about the possibility of working for their company.

Remember that an interview is also a time for you to determine if the position would be a good fit for you, so make your questions work to your advantage and figure if it’s going to be your dream job.

• Interviewers ask about why you left your last job to find out if you quit voluntarily or were terminated by your previous employer.

• It’s important to be honest about why you left your last job, because the interviewer will find out if you lie.

• Be positive about why you left your last job and don’t talk negatively about your last boss or the position.

How to Answer “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”

1. Start with a main point that connects to the new job. Whether it had to do with personal or professional reasons, you want to have a clear and coherent answer.

   Just as important is giving an answer that can easily segue into why this job you’re applying for is perfect in contrast to the less-than-perfect fit with your former employer.

2. Limit the details. You don’t need to overshare, and you certainly don’t need to volunteer information that makes you look bad. Of course, if you were fired, that automatically looks kind of bad, but the goal is still to minimize the negativity. Be accountable for your mistakes and talk about what you learned from the experience.

   If your reasoning was personal and you left voluntarily, consider how you’ll phrase your answer and do your best to limit it to facts that would interest the interviewer. If you were laid off, think about an intelligent way to describe what was going on with the company at a macro-level that led to lay-offs.

   Whatever your answer, fix the important details in your mind and stick to them. Going off-script might result in you accidentally bad-mouthing someone, which we want to avoid at all costs.

3. Be positive. Hiring managers and recruiters will see negative talk about your former workplace as a red flag — whether that’s fair or not. Instead, frame the experience positively, regardless of the reasons for your departure.

   Companies aren’t hiring for hard skills and qualifications alone; soft skills matter, and your capacity for diplomacy, tact, and careful communication may be just as important for your job as your technical abilities.

4. Be forward-thinking. Always bring your answer back around to your enthusiasm for the job and company you’re currently interviewing with. Some answers are easier to segue into this sort of thing than others, but the opportunity is always there.

   If you were fired, you can talk about how you want to put the lessons you learned into practice. If you were laid off, you can discuss how you’re excited to move into an industry that’s growing so rapidly.

   If you quit because of collaborative issues, highlight how great it is that teamwork is one of the company’s core values. If you quit for a better work-life balance, mention how the flexible schedules are really attractive for you.

   Whatever the reason, an answer that emphasizes your excitement for the future rather than dwells on the past will impress interviewrs.

Example Answers to “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”

1. Example Answer 1: The Last Job Wasn’t Challenging

   “I quit because I was bored,”

   Or alternatively;

   “I just wasn’t being challenged enough.”

   What the interviewer hears: “I’m a fickle person subject to naught but my own whims, and I could quit at literally any time. I might quit on day one if the office coffee is cold. In my mind, I’m already quitting the job that you haven’t even offered me yet.” What to say instead: The problem here is that telling a hiring manager that you weren’t being challenged enough might make him or her concerned about your attention span. They’re looking for someone who’s more than just capable of doing the work, but who’s also interested enough in the work that they won’t be back on the job hunt as soon they get hired. Emphasize that what you’re looking for is a new experience, but that you’re still capable of making a commitment to a new organization. Talk about why you’ve chosen to apply to this company in particular. What interests you about them specifically? At the end of the day, it’s fine if you were bored and wanted to shake up your life a bit. You just want to be a little diplomatic about how you frame this to a hiring manager. Try something like,

   “I worked for [X] company for [X] number of years, and it was time for me to make a change.”

2. Example Answer 2: You Want to Work With Better People

   “I quit because my boss was a (and/or coworkers were) moron(s).”

   What the interviewer hears: “My boss was a jerk and I’m not intelligent or articulate enough to be nice about it. Also, I may or may not be a rude, boorish fool myself. I probably am.

   You have no way to know for sure, as you and I are strangers. My inability to think of anything nice to say about my previous employer is, in any case, a serious red flag that you should definitely hold against me as an interviewee and potential co-worker.” What to say instead: Again, there’s no way for any hiring manager to be sure you aren’t the one who’s the jerk. First impressions can be deceiving, after all. In fact, if you didn’t like them, try not to mention your boss or coworkers at all. Instead, focus on the company at large; you can disagree with the general direction of the company without sounding mean. It can be a really great jumping-off point for talking about reasons you’re excited to join this new company specifically. If it’s specifically a newer boss that you disliked at a company you’d already been working for a while, a good option here is to talk about your old boss. Discuss how it didn’t make sense for you to continue working at the company after she or he left, or how their leaving helped you realize that it was time for you to move on as well. This is a reasonable answer to a common enough situation, and perfectly sidesteps the issue of talking about your newer (idiot) boss.

   “I had a great relationship with my former boss, and when she left to work for XYZ Inc., she motivated me to also seek a role that better suits my skill set and values.”

3. Example Answer 3: Your Last Company Downsized

   “I was laid off suddenly,”

   or,

   “I was laid off for no good reason.”

   What the interviewer hears: “I didn’t think I would get laid off and wasn’t really prepared for it to happen, financially or otherwise, which is actually fine and doesn’t make me a bad person or anything, but it’s probably not something I should be telling you as a potential employer.” What to say instead: Not an example where lying is required, but specificity is. You want to talk about precisely what happened. Was your company relocating, or merging with another? Were you overstaffed, or was your company cutting costs? Be as specific as you can be about this. It’ll show any potential hirers that you understand the complex reasons why a company may conduct layoffs. Showing that you have no hard feelings about this will demonstrate your ability to remain civil when this kind of unavoidable evils of the business world ends up affecting your livelihood.

   “My last company was facing stiff competition from newer and more agile companies in the area, and they were forced to downsize certain departments. Marketing was especially hard hit, and the company laid off around 50% of the staff working there, myself included.”

4. Example Answer 4: You Were Fired

   “I was fired.”

   What the interviewer hears: Actually, probably just what it sounds like. Sorry. What to say instead: It’s tough to get around this one. Obviously, it’s not ideal to tell a hiring manager that you were fired, as this is perhaps the reddest of all red flags. However, lying about this is a terrible idea; it will almost certainly come up at one point or another. Any hiring manager can discover this about you with a minimal amount of digging. All that they have to do is call your previous employer, and suddenly your secret is out. So, you have one shot here to convince your interviewer that despite being fired, you still deserve a shot. Your instinct here may be to trash talk your previous employer, which may make sense — if the reason you were fired because your last boss was terrible, this will clear up the issue right away. But if you do this, no matter how justified you are, you’ll end up running into the same problem of the hiring manager not knowing who to believe in this scenario. Even if you’re right, it’s tough to look good to a stranger while trashing your old boss (even if they were bad); you’ll come off looking righteously angry at best, but cynical and mean-spirited at worst. Part of this depends on how you left things with your last place of employment. If you can cite your last boss as a reference, that’s the best of all possible worlds. She or he can go to bat for you at your new place and tell them all about how wonderful you are, and any fears a hiring manager might still have can be squashed right away. Of course, there are some of us who live in our own darkest timelines, and we don’t all have the luxury of being on perfect terms with our previous employers. Sometimes in life, we’re forced to leave quickly instead of giving a more traditional two weeks’ notice. In cases like these where the only person in your corner is yourself, it’s all on you to think of some method of framing the experience in such a way that a hiring manager would be willing to give you a shot. First of all, tell them that you were “let go”; then follow this up by talking about what you learned as a result of the experience, rather than spending your time focused on the firing itself.

   “I had trouble keeping up with deadlines at my last editing job, and I was let go as a result. Since then, I’ve been freelancing a bit, and it’s really helped me stay organized and on top of everything. I now keep a spreadsheet of all my tasks with urgency and importance levels assigned to each, and it’s made a big difference in my time management and planning.”

Tips for Answering “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job”

1. Don’t hate on your old boss. The trick is to be honest without being a huge downer about your last boss.

   • After all, what the person interviewing is looking for is just a good reason why you’re no longer working for your previous employer, not a Russian novel detailing your every grievance.

   • Even if your boss was a grade-A jerk, it’s difficult for the interviewer to take you at your word. They don’t know you, and it’s just as likely that you were the difficult one to work with, not your boss.

   • Additionally, they’ll be thinking about the kind of things you might say about the company you’re applying to, should you manage to get the position.

   • Will you still be tactful about your new position if things don’t pan out? Or will you just be saying the same sort of unpleasant things in your next interview, somewhere down the line?

2. Be creative when discussing negative experiences. There are a lot of very good reasons for you to have left your previous position, and almost all are good to share with your new boss and work friends. Just, perhaps not immediately.

   • You want to keep in mind that this person who’s interviewing you is meeting you for the first time as well. Even if they seem polite and understanding in person, once it comes time for them to make hiring decisions they may not feel able to take a risk on someone whose background sends up too many red flags for them.

   • If they know that someone they’re looking to hire had a terrible relationship with their last employer, then the immediate concern for them is not a potential hire’s boss, but their potential new employee (aka you).

   • Think about how you can frame your more honest answers about why you left your previous position into something that employers are looking for.

     This is one situation where, because of the stigma associated with bad-mouthing any previous employer (no matter how bad), you may want to lie if your answer is anything less than flattering to your last boss.

   • However, you also don’t want to inadvertently bad-mouth yourself, either. If your last employer was perfect (or if you at least make them sound like they were), then the fact that you are no longer working there could be a red flag if you don’t have a good reason prepared for why you left.

   • The point here is to show your ability to be tactful about your previous work relationships without sending up any red flags to a potential employer. You want to show that you’re aware of what a good, healthy employment experience consists of without giving hiring managers any reason to be concerned about your ability to play nice with others.

   • Depending on your reasons for leaving, this may require you to be a teensy, tiny bit dishonest. Or, at the very least, not perfectly frank.

Why Interviewers Ask “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”

• They’re looking for the truth, but you always want to give a story that makes you look like a solid and reliable employee who is seeking greater challenges and a better outlet for your skill set.

• Interviewers also hope for a bit of insight into your loyalty and professionalism. Ideally, you gave plenty of notice and helped with the transition. This will put the hiring manager’s mind at ease about how considerate and dependable you are.

• If you were fired or laid off, interviewers want to hear the truth of the matter (to a certain degree). They want to see that you understand the circumstances that led to your termination and that you don’t hold a grudge.

• If you were fired for something that was your fault, they also want to hear what you learned and how you’ve grown from the experience.

• Ultimately, they want to hire an employee who can remain diplomatic and has stayed on good terms with their former employer, regardless of the circumstances.

Common Reasons For Leaving a Job

• The company you worked for went out of business

• You feel undervalued in your current position

• You are overworked and underpaid

• The scheduled hours don’t fit your current needs

• You don’t fit in with the company culture

• You have a better job offer

• You wanted to work in a different industry

• You went back to school to get a degree in a different field

Final Thoughts

• A professional portfolio is an excellent tool for your job search to keep samples of your past work organized for presentation to potential employers.

• While portfolios are most commonly used by freelancers like artists or writers, any profession can make use of a portfolio to demonstrate past projects.

• The best professional portfolio is up-to-date with recent work and is presented in a well-designed, visually compelling way.

What Is a Professional Portfolio?

How a Professional Portfolio Works

When to Introduce Your Portfolio

• On your resume. Providing a link to your online portfolio directly in your resume’s contact information section is a smart move. It takes up basically no space and it offers hiring managers an easy way to quickly peruse your work if your resume interests them enough.

• At the interview. Besides having an online portfolio, you might want to have a printed one to bring with you to a job interview.

  If you have a printed portfolio, you can reference it during the interview to bring home your experience and highlight your skills. A great idea is to go to a print shop and have a bound version created and use it as a leave-behind for the interviewer(s).

• After the interview. Including a link to your professional portfolio in your interview follow-up email is a savvy move, especially if the hiring manager or recruiter hasn’t looked it over yet. If you bring impressive documentation to back up the claims you made in your interview, it might be just the thing to land a job offer.

• Promotion opportunity. If you’re up for a promotion and know there’s competition, then using a portfolio can give you the edge you need to rise to the top of the list. Plus, using real materials to brag about internal achievements is much more impactful, considering your interviewer is likely much more familiar with the projects you’ll be talking about.

• Salary negotiations. You want a raise and feel you deserve one but asking is hard. If you have a portfolio with you, it can be a little easier. You’ll have the documentation you need to prove your point and highlight both your work and it’s affect on the bottom line.

• Performance reviews. Sure, reviews are never fun, but they can be a good thing if you know how to work them. Bringing a portfolio to a performance review can help support your case and show all you’ve done for the company. Your boss might also be happy that you’re tracking your own progress.

• To win awards or acknowledgments. Whether it’s a sizeable professional reward or a small, companywide acknowledgment, having a portfolio to show off your stuff can help you be a winner. You can also add these wins to your portfolio.

Tips on How to Build a Professional Portfolio

• Make it digital. Having a digital portfolio is the way to go. You can use a portfolio platform if you don’t have much to share. Or you can make your own website and really wow the folks on hiring committees.

  You don’t have to be super-tech savvy to create a website. You can hire a web designer to make one for you, but that can be expensive. You can also pick up a few WordPress skills and create your own basic website. What you really want is to focus on your work — there doesn’t need to be a lot of extra features or a ton of pages. You don’t even need to optimize it or make it public.

• Think it through. Throwing up work as you do it is better than nothing, but it’s not the best approach. Try to come up with one purpose for your portfolio and curate samples that satisfy that purpose.

  If you’re trying to get a job, you should gear your portfolio toward the job you want. This might mean that you omit some of your work. If it doesn’t apply to the position, you don’t need to include it. Read the job description carefully to see what kind of projects and deliverables you’d be responsible for. That way, you can emphasize examples of past work that most closely resembles the responsibilities at the open position. Also, try to be as organized as possible, so it’s easy for outsiders to understand and navigate. Having a messy, unorganized website will reflect poorly on you. Your work can’t shine if your website is dull.

• Be recent. An outdated portfolio can have the opposite of the intended effect. It might make it look like you haven’t done anything recently. Even if your best stuff is older, you’ll want to showcase more of your recent work.

  There are a few exceptions to this rule. If something you’ve done has gained national or international notice, then it’d be silly to omit it, regardless of how dated. But if you’ve been doing basically the same work for 20 years, you don’t want to spotlight your first assignment. Stick to the stuff you’ve done within the last five to ten years.

• Quality over quantity. You’ve written thousands of articles, been a party planner at 50 events, tutored hundreds of students -– whatever you’ve done, you need to narrow your portfolio down to a few outstanding ones.

  Try to overwhelm them with the quality of your best pieces and not with sheer quantity. If you have a hard time trimming it down, ask some friends or colleagues which ones they think show your best work.

• Use some images. Text gets boring, and it’s not visually stimulating. Adding images can bolster the appeal of your portfolio. Even just a few photos of you working with a team or on a job site will help.

  It’s also important to remember to use high-quality images that are visually interesting. A little editing or photoshop might be necessary to make them stand out and look sharp. If you don’t want to or can’t use a photo, then use other images. Graphics, charts, and other visual elements can break up the text.

• Update it regularly. You should update your portfolio as often as your resume. Typically, updating once a year, if you’re employed, is good enough to keep things fresh.

  If you’re a freelancer, you might want to update both after each gig to stay on top of things. That can be more frequently than once a year or less. Also, if you’ve just hit a work milestone or accomplished something, you’re not quite done until you put it in your portfolio. Take advantage of your excitement when it’s fresh.

• Use it for interview preparation. This tip isn’t about building your portfolio so much as maintaining and using it. You’re going to get interview questions about your past accomplishments and qualifications, and one quick and simple way to brush up on the stuff that’ll impress recruiters is to look over your portfolio.

  Not to mention that following up after the interview by directing them to the section of your portfolio that showcases something from your interview answer is a great way to contextualize your experience in a richer way than most candidates will offer. In the process, you might also find that the layout of your portfolio isn’t optimized for the job in question, so it’s also a good time to tweak and improve it for future use.

What to Include in Your Professional Portfolio

• Title page/table of contents. These can be separate pages, or they can become one overall page that describes who you are, what you do, what you want to do, and what’s included in the portfolio. If you’re doing an online version, this will serve as your navigation page, but it has the same information.

• Market yourself somehow. Some people like to add an elevator pitch to this page and briefly market themselves. Other people will tell you to include a cover letter and a resume following the title/navigation page to repeat your professional background.

  How you decide to market yourself depends on your approach, your field, how you’re using your portfolio, etc. Just make sure there is some sort of contact information and that you clearly list your name.

• Samples of your work. Things may have changed, but this is still the most crucial part of a professional portfolio. While some careers don’t produce tangible samples, think of some way you can capture your work. Can you use pictures, job descriptions, results, or statistics?

  If you do work in a field where you produce samples, make sure you’re always featuring your best stuff.

• Awards, degrees, certifications. All of the paperwork you’ve earned and collected over the years looks great on your office walls. It also looks mighty impressive in your professional portfolio. Make copies of your most important documents and the ones that will wow potential employers and add them to your collection.

  If you’re using an online portfolio, scan in copies of the documentation and remember to include a link to the affiliated school, program, or award organization. Sometimes giving that added validity to a certification or license goes a long way.

• Letters of recommendation. This is great advice for people who don’t have a lot of supporting documents. It’s also crucial if you’re in a field that relies heavily on the work you’ve done for others. Collecting these letters of referral will help you gain respect and authenticity, even if you’ve only been in the business for a few years.

• Anything else you feel is relevant. You know your achievements and your career goals best. Use this knowledge to create a portfolio that’s the best representation of your work possible. Don’t just give prospective employers a glimpse at your work; make them want you for the job. Prove that you’re the best in the business.

Final Thoughts

• One of the best ways to answer behavioral interview questions is to tell a story using the STAR method.

• Behavioral interview questions ask for examples on how you dealt with situations at work in the past so that hiring managers can get a better idea of how you might respond to similar situations in the future.

• Behavioral interview questions often cover topics such as problem-solving, teamwork, and decision-making, among others.

How to Answer Behavioral Job Interview Questions

Like with all interview questions, there is a right and a wrong answer — the issue with behavioral questions is that this answer can be much more difficult to figure out than with traditional interviews.

While it is, as we said before, more difficult to game behavioral interview questions than traditional ones, there is still a chance that you can figure out how to answer a question correctly based on the way it’s asked.

The interviewer isn’t trying to trick good people into giving “bad answers” — but they are trying to trick people with poor judgment into revealing themselves early on.

In this vein, here are some big things to keep in mind if you find yourself in a behavioral job interview:

1. Highlight your skills. Think about the sort of skills you need to demonstrate in order to be successful at the job you hope to do. These skills are typically more general than they are specific — things like leadership skills, the ability to work with a team, brilliant decision-making, the advanced use of an industry technique etc.

   When you’re constructing your answer, think about how to portray your actions in such a way that shows off those skills.

2. Tell a story. Remember that you’re telling a story and that ultimately, how you tell that story matters most of all. Try to make your story flow as naturally as possible — don’t overload the interviewer with unnecessary details, or alternately, forget too many details for the story to make sense.

   They need to understand your answer in order to parse out your behavior. They can’t do that if they can’t understand the story you just told them — in addition to which, they might just find that a person who can’t tell a simple story is just too annoying to work with.

3. Use the STAR method. If you’re really having trouble telling your story, remember that good old STAR method:

   • Situation. Start by giving context. Briefly explain the time, place, and relevant characters in your story.

   • Task. Next, tell the interviewer your role in the story, whether it was a task assigned to you or some initiative you took on your own.

   • Action. Now comes the juicy stuff; let the hiring manager know what actions you took in response to the situation and your task. Interviewers are interested in how and why you did something just as much as what you did, so spell out your thought process when possible.

     This is where you showcase your skills, so try to think of actions that align well with the job you’re applying for.

   • Result. Finally, explain the end result of your actions. Your focus should always be on what value you contributed to the company, not bragging about your personal accomplishments.

     Note that while the result should always be positive, some behavioral interview questions specifically ask about negative situations. In these cases, finish by discussing what you learned from the experience or how the project could have been improved.

Example Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers

Essentially, a behavioral interview means being asked a bunch of open-ended questions which all have the built-in expectation that your answer will be in the form of a story.

These questions are difficult to answer correctly specifically because the so-called “correct” answers are much more likely to vary compared to traditional interview questions, whose correct answers are typically more obvious and are often implied.

Behavioral interviewers are likely to ask more follow-up questions than normal, while giving less of themselves away. They want to hear you talk and react to every opportunity they give you, because the more you talk, the more you reveal about yourself and your work habits.

And that’s okay. The takeaway here shouldn’t be that “the hiring manager wants to trick me into talking, so I should say as little as possible.”

The real trick with this kind of question is to use the opportunities you’re given to speak very carefully — don’t waste time on details that make you look bad, for example, unless those details are necessary to show how you later improved.

In addition to these general techniques interviewers might use on you, here are some common questions you might be asked during a behavioral interview:

1. Q: Tell me about a time when you had to take a leadership role on a team project.

   A: As a consultant at XYZ Inc., I worked with both the product and marketing teams. When the head of the marketing team suddenly quit, I was asked to step up and manage that deparment while they looked for her replacement. We were in the midst of a big social media campaign, so I quickly called toghether the marketing team and was updated on the specifics of the project. By delegating appropriately and taking over the high-level communications with affiliates, we were able to get the project out on time and under budget. After that, my boss stopped looking for a replacement and asked if I’d like to head the marketing team full time.

2. Q: Can you share an example of a time when you disagreed with a superior?

   A: In my last role at ABC Corp., my manager wanted to cut costs by outsourcing some of our projects to remote contractors. I understood that it saved money, but some of those projects were client-facing, and we hadn’t developed a robust vetting process to make sure that the contractors’ work was consistent and high-quality. I brought my concerns to him, and he understood why I was worried. He explained that cost-cutting was still important, but was willing to compromise by keeping some important projects in-house. Additionally, he accepted my suggestion of using a system of checks to ensure quality and rapidly remove contractors who weren’t performing as well. Ultimately, costs were cut by over 15% and the quality of those projects didn’t suffer as a result.

3. Q: Tell me about a time when you had to work under pressure.

   A: My job as lead editor for The Daily Scratch was always fast-paced, but when we upgraded our software and printing hardware nearly simultaneously, the pressure got turned up to 11. I was assigned with training staff on the new software in addition to my normal responsibilities. When we were unable to print over a long weekend while the new printing hardware was being set up, I wrote and recorded a full tutorial that answered the most frequently asked questions I’d been receiving over the previous week. With a staff of 20 writers, this really cut down on the need for one-on-one conversations and tutorials. While management was worried we wouldn’t be able to have the writers working at full capacity the following week, the tutorial was so effective that everyone got right on track without skipping a beat.

4. Q: Can you describe a time when you had to motivate an employee?

   A: When I was the sales manager at Nice Company, we had a big hiring push that added six sales reps to my team in a matter of weeks. One worker in that bunch was working a sales job for the first time ever, and she had an aversion to cold calls. While her email correspondence had fantastic results, her overall numbers were suffering because she was neglecting her call targets. I sat down with her and explained that she should try to incorporate her winning writing skills into her cold calls. I suggested following her normal process for writing an email to cold calls; research the company and target and craft a message that suits them perfectly. She jumped at the idea and starting writing scripts that day. Within a couple of weeks, she was confidently making cold calls and had above-average numbers across the board.

5. Q: Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work.

   A: When I landed my first internship, I was eager to stand out by going the extra mile. I was a little too ambitious, though — I took on too many assignments and offered help to too many coworkers to possibly juggle everything. When I was late with at least one task every week, my coworkers were understandably upset with me. After that experience, I created a tracking system that took into account how long each task would realistically take. This method really helped me never make promises I couldn’t keep. After that first month, I never handed in an assignment late again.

More Behavioral Interview Questions

1. What have you done in the past to prevent a situation from becoming too stressful for you or your colleagues to handle?

2. Tell me about a situation in which you have had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle it?

3. What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision? Why?

4. When have you had to deal with an irate customer? What did you do? How did the situation end up?

5. Have you ever had to “sell” an idea to your co-workers? How did you do it?

6. When have you brought an innovative idea into your team? How was it received?

7. Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed. How did you handle it?

8. Tell me about a professional goal that you set that you did not reach. How did it make you feel?

9. Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. How/why was this person difficult? How did you handle it? How did the relationship progress?

10. Tell me about a project that you planned. How did your organize and schedule the tasks? Tell me about your action plan.

What Are Behavioral Interview Questions?

A hiring manager is never going to come right out and tell you — before, during, or after the fact — whether or not your interview with them is traditional or behavioral.

That’s because the difference between the two is more related to philosophy than it is necessarily technique.

Often, an employer won’t even know themselves that the interview they’re conducting is behavioral rather than traditional — the deciding factors are the questions that they decide to ask, and where the interview’s focus settles on.

In a nutshell, traditional interviews are focused on the future, while behavioral interviews are focused on the past.

In a traditional interview, you’re asked a series of questions where you’re expected to talk about yourself and your personal qualities.

Interviews in this vein tend to ask questions that are sort of psychological traps — oftentimes the facts of your answer matter less than the way you refer to and frame those facts.

Moreover, if you find that you’re able to understand the underlying thing an interviewer is trying to learn about you by asking you a certain question, you might even find you’re able to game the system of the traditional interview a little bit by framing your answer in a particular way.

Behavioral interviews are harder to game, because instead of asking about how you might deal with a particular situation, they focus on situations you’ve already encountered.

In a behavioral interview, you probably won’t find yourself being asked about your strengths. Instead, you’ll be asked about specific problems you encountered, and you’ll have to give detailed answers about how you dealt with that problem, your thought process for coming up with your solution, and the results of implementing that solution.

Why Interviewers Ask Behavioral Interview Questions

Tips for Answering Behavioral Interview Questions

• Prepare for common questions. It’s impossible to prepare for all of the most common interview questions. But behavioral questions are easier to prepare in one sense; they all fall into a handful of basic categories. For example:

  • Stress

  • Problem-solving

  • Dealing with clients

  • Conflict resolution

  • Decision-making

  • Goal-setting

  • Challenges

  • Leadership

  • Time managment

  • Teamwork

  • Motivation

  • Mistakes

• Prepare stories. Now that you have a set of general types of questions, think of an impressive work-related story to go with each. These answers shouldn’t sound memorized, but it’s good to jot down bullet points for each story to make sure you’re stressing the most important elements.

• Read the job description carefully. Before you go into the interview, and perhaps before you even start preparing stories beforehand, read the job description closely. Highlight action verbs in one color and adjectives in another. Then, think of ways to naturally incorporate those qualities and behaviors into your answers.

  For example, if a job description emphasizes strong time management, you might change the emphasis of one of your stories to how well you planned and executed time frames, rather than the results of that project.

• Be positive. Some behavioral interview questions (many, actually) will have you discuss negative situations, like conflicts or mistakes. Take accountability when appropriate (without making yourself look too bad) and never blame a former coworker or superior for a bad result.

  The hiring manager might have to work with you, and even recruiters don’t want to add a team member who’s constantly throwing other people under the bus. Instead, focus on the lessons you’ve learned and improvements you’ve made.

• Tell the truth. Yes, you want to put your best foot forward in the interview, but you shouldn’t embellish or lie about your capabilities. Most hiring managers will be able to pick up on whether you’re lying or not, and even if they don’t, it will quickly become apparent once you start the job.

  Lying about your qualifications can and will likely cost you the job, so be truthful about your abilities. If you’re weak in an area, say so, and then explain what you’re doing to get stronger. Hiring managers know you aren’t perfect and want to see how you respond to your mistakes and weaknesses, so show them.

• Quantify your stories. When you’re answering behavioral interview questions, include numbers whenever you can. For example, saying you took 85 calls a day rather than “a bunch” makes a bigger impact and gives hiring managers a better idea of what you actually did.

Final Thoughts

Behavioral interview questions aren’t usually isolated. That is to say, you won’t usually find yourself in “The Behavioral Interview.”

They could be sprinkled into your very first interview, or you might not hear any of them until you’ve almost got your job in the bag.

You might have an entire interview made up of just these sorts of questions. Maybe you’ll hear only one.

Either way, behavioral interview questions are less of an overwhelming strategy than they are a specific tool that a hiring manager has at their disposal.

It’s true that some hiring managers prefer them while others avoid them, but as we said, a lot of that ultimately comes down to personal philosophy. There are a lot of weaknesses to asking only behavioral questions, though, so the best hiring managers out there know to mix them in with the more straightforward, future-focused traditional interview questions.

• When going in for a final interview, don’t go in overly confident and assume that you have the job.

• Make sure you prepare for this interview by reviewing previous interview notes, reviewing the company and position again, and prepare a list of questions to ask.

• Answer all behavioral questions using the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method.

• Final interviews tend to be longer, averaging around 30-60 minutes long.

How To Prepare for a Final Interview

1. Don’t be overly confident. Even though you are one of the finalists for the position, you don’t have it yet. You should still adhere to the regular principles of a successful interview:

   • Dress appropriately

   • Bring copies of your resume, portfolio, and list of references

   • Show up on time, which means arriving 10 to 15 minutes early

   • Get a good night’s sleep the night before

   • Keep your energy levels and enthusiasm high

   • Follow up with a thank-you letter

2. Look over past interviews. Since this is your second or third meeting with the company, chances are many of the questions will be focused on revisiting topics from your earlier interviews.

   Look over your notes to remind yourself about what you talked about in your last meeting so that you’re ready to continue the conversation. Consider answers you gave that you want to make sure you reframe or expound upon, and come up with a few more anecdotes that further highlight your experience so that you have something new to share.

3. Come prepared with a list of questions. This interview is also an opportunity for you to find out what you need to know about the company so that you can make your decision about accepting a potential job offer.

   Prepare a list of questions to ask, but also make sure you’re thinking of them as you go through the interview. Think through what you would want to know during your first week or two working at the company and ask those now.

4. Anticipate more in-depth questions. Final interviews tend to focus more on behavioral and relationship type questions so be prepared to give more details in your answer. The best way to answer these questions is to use the STAR method:

   • Situation. Start by describing details of the situation that provide context.

   • Task. This is where you explain what your responsibility was during for the situation.

   • Action. This is going to be the longest part of your answer. You will be describing the actions that you took to solve the situation.

   • Result. This is where you explain the outcome of the situation and highlight the positive results of the situation.

5. Don’t assume you have the position. It can be exciting to reach the final stage of the interview process, but you should never assume that means you have gotten the job. You should still go into this interview just as prepared as you were during the initial stages of the interview process.

Final Interview Questions With Example Answers

1. Now that you’ve learned the full scope of this position, what are your salary expectations?

   Always base your answer to this question on research you’ve done about typical salaries within this industry and geographic location or on your own knowledge of industry standards.
   Example Answer

   “My salary expectation is between $35,000 and $45,000, which is the average salary for someone in this industry with my experience in this area. I’m willing to negotiate, though.”

2. If hired, how would you want to grow within the company? How would you accomplish this?

   Your interviewer wants to know that they’re hiring a self-motivated employee who will continue to grow and improve. They also want to see that you’ve researched the company, so make sure you show that you know how it’s structured.
   Example Answer

   “I would work to be as effective and efficient as possible in my role and seek out professional development opportunities and chances to work with other departments to expand my experience. “Eventually, I would love to be able to put my skills to work with more responsibility by applying for a leadership position that would be a good fit for my abilities and then working my way up to become a Vice President.”

3. What are your hobbies and interests?

   Your interviewer wants to make sure you’re a well-rounded person who will fit well with the organization. Be honest about what you like to do, but also try to think of ways to relate them to the position you’re applying for.
   Example Answer

   “I love to travel. It helps me expand my point of view, teaches me how to solve problems on the fly, and gives me practice staying calm under pressure. Plus, I get to meet new people from all over the world.”

4. Tell me about a conflict you’ve encountered and how you handled it.

   Your interviewer wants an example of your interpersonal skills in action. Be detailed in your answer and be sure to include the result of your efforts.
   Example Answer

   “In my previous position, I was in charge of coordinating an interdepartmental project. “After I sent out the first informational email to the team, I found out that one more person had been added to the project. Because of this, I hadn’t included him in the email, and he quickly realized it in the first meeting. “The person was offended and confronted me about it. I asked if we could talk privately, where I apologized, explained that it hadn’t been intentional, and assured him that he’d be on all future emails. “Thankfully, he accepted my apology and there were no more issues between us.”

5. When could you start?

   This question is pretty straightforward, so answer honestly. If you’re willing to be flexible, be sure to say so.
   Example Answer

   “I would need to give two weeks’ notice as soon as I accepted the position, and then I could start as soon as that time has passed. Beyond that, I am flexible.”

6. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a lot of stress at work.

   This is another question that requires a story. Be detailed and show the steps you take to reduce stress.
   Example Answer

   “During my time in my most recent position, I had three major projects that all happened to be due during the same week. I had to be very careful about prioritizing my tasks, blocking out time to work on them, and intentionally relaxing at home in the evenings so I’d be ready to go in the morning. “It took a lot of hard work, but I was able to complete everything successfully.”

7. If you were in charge of a team, how would you go about motivating them?

   Whether you’re applying for a leadership position or not, your interviewer wants to see that you have these skills in case you are eventually put in that position.
   Example Answer

   “I believe that one of the best ways to lead is by example, so I would work to set a positive tone and show that I’m invested in the project by completing my tasks well. “I would work to build relationships with the team and find ways to make it an enjoyable experience by putting incentives in place and giving recognition for a job well done.”

8. What type of work environment do you prefer?

   A major part of the final interview is to determine if you’ll be a good fit for the company beyond your skill set. Be honest, and show that you understand the environment in the company you’re applying to.
   Example Answer

   “I enjoy collaborating with others, so I tend to work best in environments that foster that, just like your open office setup does.”

9. What motivates you?

   This is another question that interviewers ask to make sure you’ll be a good fit for their company. Talk about what made you apply for this position and what motivated you in past jobs. Be specific, and tell a story if you can.
   Example Answer

   “I enjoy solving problems and coming up with creative solutions. When I worked as a social media manager, I loved looking at which web pages we needed to draw more people to and then coming up with a social media strategy to do that. “I successfully increased the average daily traffic on three of our main web pages through these campaigns, and I got excited when I saw the opportunity to do even more of these projects with this marketing position.”

10. How do you prioritize your tasks?

    Your answer to this question will reveal a little more about how you handle your workload and responsibilities. Be as specific as possible in your answer to paint a picture for the interviewer.
    Example Answer

    “At the beginning of each week, I set aside 15 minutes to organize my to-do list. I sort tasks into three priority levels and then put the ones with due dates on my calendar. I then schedule times when I’m going to complete my most important tasks throughout the week and work the lower priority ones around those. That way, if something goes wrong, I can bump those back and still have time to complete my top priorities.”

11. How do you like to be managed?

    Another part of making sure you’re a good fit for the company’s culture is making sure you’d work well with your potential manager’s style. Stay positive and honest, and provide examples when possible.
    Example Answer

    “I thrive when I’m given a goal to reach or project to complete but then have the freedom to figure out the steps I need to take to get there. “For example, I had one boss who would work with me to set goals and then let me figure out how to reach them. “She’d check in with me along the way to see if I needed anything and how I was progressing, but other than that, it was up to me to complete them.”

12. What should I know that isn’t on your resume?

    This is your chance to talk about a qualification, personality trait, or anecdote that further reveals why you’re the best person for the job. You can also talk about any goals you have that are similar to the company’s.
    Example Answer

    “One thing that isn’t on my resume is my passion for helping people reach their goals. Being able to teach at a community college would combine my knowledge of teaching English as a second language and my passion for helping people get on a path to fulfilling their dreams.”

13. How would your current colleagues describe you?

    When you answer this question, make sure you’re truthful but positive. Especially during a final interview, try to think of things that haven’t been brought up yet.
    Example Answer

    “My colleagues would describe me as efficient, hard-working, and creative.”

14. Tell me about a time you made a mistake. How did you handle it?

    Your interviewers know that everyone makes mistakes, so they want to see how you respond when you do. Just remember to end with what you learned and how you prevented it from happening again.
    Example Answer

    “I once miscalculated a part of our final budget report, which resulted in an incorrect report going before the board. As soon as I realized the mistake, I told my supervisor, who was able to contact the board members and correct the report. From then on, I’ve always made sure to check my work three times or have someone else look at it as well before I turn it in.”

15. Why did you leave your last job?

    This is one of the few interview questions where you shouldn’t launch into a detailed anecdote to illustrate your point. Be honest, optimistic, and brief, and try to form your answers so that it points back to why this position would be a good fit.
    Example Answer

    After working at my last company for seven years, I’m ready for a new challenge, and there weren’t any opportunities to do that there. I saw that this position would be a great fit for my skills and give me a chance to use them in a new way.”

16. What are you passionate about?

    Interviewers ask this question in order to get to know you better, so there is no one right answer. As always, though, relate it to the position you’re applying for if you can.
    Example Answer

    “I’m passionate about connecting with people and building relationships with them. I love creating partnerships where we make each other better. This is one of the reasons why I got into public relations in the first place.”

17. How do you define success?

    Your potential employer wants to see that you know how to set and reach goals and will work hard to make the company successful. Showcase this in your answer by sharing what you actively do to make sure you’re successful.
    Example Answer

    “I define success as completing my responsibilities in such a way that they help both my team and the company as a whole succeed. To do this, I make sure I’m not only doing my everyday tasks to the best of my ability, but that I’m also searching out ways to grow and support others on my team.”

18. Where do you see yourself in five years?

    This question helps your interviewer see what your long-term goals are and if you’re thinking you’ll be at the company for the long haul. Be honest about your hopes and ambitions and how they relate to this job.
    Example Answer

    “In five years I see myself in a management role where I can use my experience in sales to lead a branch of my own.”

19. Why should we hire you?

    This is a great opportunity to share again what sets you apart from the one or two other candidates they’re considering. You don’t even need to know who they are to be able to share the unique traits and experiences you bring to the table.
    Example Answer

    “You should hire me because I’m a self-starter who has experience in both design and management. These skills would be a great fit for this leadership role, because I have both the technical knowledge and people skills needed to lead this department effectively.”

20. Do you have any questions for us?

    Example Answer

    This question usually comes at the end of the interview, and the answer should always be, “yes,” followed by questions that you’ve prepared. This shows that you’re invested in this position and have been paying attention, and it could just push you to the top of the candidate list. Read on to find some examples of questions to ask.

What Is a Final Interview?

What To Ask in a Final Interview

• What does a typical day look like for someone in this position?

• Who will I be working under?

• What is the average turnover rate at the company? How long was my predecessor in this position?

• What are some of the biggest challenges the person in this position would face?

• What is your favorite part about working for the company?

• Are there any hesitations you have about hiring me that I can address?

• What about my qualifications appeal to you the most?

• Is there any other information or work samples I can provide for you?

• What are the next steps in the interview process?

What Not To Ask in a Final Interview

• What will my salary and benefits look like?

• Who is your competition?

• How often do you review your employees?

• Will I be able to have a flexible work schedule?

• How many vacation days will I get?

• Would you like to see my references?

• How quickly could I get promoted?

• Will I get my own office?

• Do you have rules about personal social media profiles?

What To Ask When You Get a Job Offer

• Are there any changes to the company’s leadership and structure coming soon?

• What does training and onboarding look like?

• What is your family leave policy?

• Can I get this offer in writing?

Final Interview FAQs

1. Is a final interview just a formality?

   No, the final interview is typically not just a formality. Your final interview is your last opportunity to impress your hiring manager before they officially make their decision. Remember, you may still be going up against a pool of other final candidates. Just because you landed the final interview doesn’t mean you have the job. However, on rare occasions, the candidate may be offered the job on the spot or very soon after the final interview.

2. How is a final interview different?

   The final interview is often much more in-depth and specific, as the hiring manager is already generally familiar with your skills and experience. Final interviews will differ depending on the company. Sometimes the final interview is used as a comparison to other candidates who may be in the running. Depending on the position, you may be required to meet with a panel, make a presentation, or complete a project.

3. How many candidates make it to the final interview?

   In most instances, 2 to 3 candidates may be invited to the final round of interviews. Typically the interviewers have narrowed down their final list of candidates and invite everyone to a final interview to help them decide. Depending on the size of the company, this number may vary.

4. How long should a final interview last?

   The final interview should last between 30-60 minutes. The final interview is generally shorter than other interviews you may have participated in during your candidacy since they already have a good idea of your personality, skills, and experience. This interview is often conducted by the person who conducted your other interviews and may include a presentation or panel interview, depending on the company’s requirements.

5. How many interviews does it take to get a job?

   Individuals who have had three job interviews have the greatest probability of receiving a job offer. According to recruiters, individuals who have had three interviews have a 51% chance of getting hired.

• Your email closing should include a closing line and a sign-off.

• Avoid overly casual or cheesy email sign-offs such as “Peace,” “Yours truly,” or “Thanks a million.”

• Include your contact information in your email closing.

How to Close an Email

1. Wrap up the body of your message with a closing line. Your email closing is more than a signoff phrase and your name, and it starts in the last line of your email.

   This final line should be a call to action, a note of thanks, or an offer to answer additional questions – whatever helps create a positive tone for the email and leaves the reader with a pleasant impression of you.

2. Choose an appropriate closing. While simply signing your name at the end of an email is appropriate in some instances, it’s typically not a good idea to start an email conversation this way. Using an appropriate closing along with your name helps set and maintain the tone of your conversation.

3. Sign off with your full name. Even if your first name is incredibly unique, it’s still a best practice to sign off with your full name, especially on the first email you send to a person.

   This helps them fully know who you are and prevents them from getting you mixed up with someone else with the same first name. (This happens more than you might think and can have embarrassing consequences.)

4. Finish with your title and contact information. If your company doesn’t already require this, make sure you include this information on your signature. You don’t necessarily need to as the conversation continues, but it’s a good idea to add it to at least your initial email.

   Having this easy access to your contact information not only allows the recipient to know exactly who they’re talking to, but it can also save you both a lot of time by removing the need for them to ask you for that information.

Email Closings To Use

1. Thanks. Ever a classic, this is a solid casual yet professional closing phrase.

2. Thank you. Slightly more formal than “thanks,” this closing is always a safe option.

3. Thanks so much. This is an especially warm way to close an email and can be used in many circumstances.

4. With gratitude. An even more formal version of “thank you,” this closing is best used when making a formal request of someone you haven’t met.

5. Sincerely. This is a safe way to end a formal letter or email, especially if you’re writing a cover letter.

6. Best. A friendly yet professional sign-off, this is a good go-to choice if you want to be somewhat generic.

7. Regards. Brief, amicable, and neutral, this is also a safe option.

8. Best regards. A step warmer than just plain “regards,” this closing exudes goodwill and professionalism.

9. Warm regards. Similar to “best regards,” the difference is mainly a question of preference and personality.

10. Cordially. Very formal, this phrase is a touch friendlier than “sincerely.”

11. Respectfully. This is an excellent option if you’re writing a formal note to someone in authority over you, especially if you’re asking a question or making a request.

12. Your name/Your initials. If you’ve been in one email thread for a while now with someone, this can be a good option to help keep the conversation moving. This isn’t a good idea for an initial email, though.

Email Closings for Continuing the Conversation

1. Let me know what questions you have. This assumes that the recipient will have questions about your message and encourages them to reach out to you for clarity or to continue the conversation.

2. Looking forward to chatting more about __. This extends an invitation to talk about a specific topic and communicates your enthusiasm for future conversation.

3. I’ll follow up with more info soon. This is a great way to tell the recipient that there will be more conversations and information about this topic. Just make sure you really do follow up.

4. Let me know if you want to chat about this in person. Inviting someone to set up a meeting is a great way to show your interest in the topic and in talking about it further.

5. Looking forward to hearing from you. This one can sound harsh and assuming, so use it sparingly, but it can be an appropriate way to close an email in many situations.

Email Closings to Avoid

1. Cheers. This can be fun if you know the person you’re writing to well, but beyond that, only use it if you’re actually from Great Britain or Australia.

2. Peace. Again, this might be appropriate for emails to your close coworker friends, but it isn’t very professional to use when emailing anyone outside of that small circle, including your boss.

3. Your friend. This tends to read like you’re writing to your grade-school pen pal and is best avoided in professional correspondence.

4. Yours truly/faithfully. This can also be misinterpreted, as it’s often associated with romantic notes or letters to dear friends.

5. Thanks a million/bunch. While this may be a friendly way to sign a note to a colleague you have a strong personal relationship with, you should avoid it in any other circumstance.

6. Rgrds. While abbreviations are helpful when you’re sending a message from your phone, this one tends to look lazy since it’s only missing two letters.

Five Examples of How To End an Email

1. Cover Letter Closing

   If you’re signing off on a cover letter or other professional document, this is an example of an appropriate closing:

   Sincerely, Amy Stuart Administrative Assistant 333-444-5555 [email protected]

2. Project Instructions Closing

   If you’re talking to a subordinate or external contractor about a project’s status, you might close your email with something like this:

   I appreciate all your help with this project. Please let me know what questions you have. Thank you, John Wolf Director of Marketing, ACME Inc. 555-333-2222

3. Interdepartmental Project Closing

   When you’re sharing details with a colleague about an interdepartmental project you’re working on together, this is one good way to close your email:

   I look forward to working with you on this project! Best, Jane Herman Sales Representative [email protected] 111-222-3333

4. Request for Information Closing

   This email closing is a great option if you’re asking someone for information:

   I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks, Jim Stevens Account Representative Jones Interiors 2222 S Main Street Lincoln, NE 44444 [email protected] 333-222-5555

5. Providing Information Closing

   When you’re sending an email with information or an answer to a question, you could close with something like this:

   Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks so much, Rhonda Seaburg Interior Designer, Homes R Us 333-222-9999, [email protected]

Tips for Creating a Professional Email Closing

1. Keep your contact information brief. If your company doesn’t already have a standard email signature, or even if it does, it can be tempting to list every phone number, email address, and portfolio link possible in your closing.

   Don’t give in to this temptation, though, and keep it to the bare minimum to avoid bogging down your email thread and annoying your recipient. If you don’t have a standard, company-wide signature, you should also consider what you need to include for the particular person you’re addressing. If you’re emailing someone who works at the same company as you, you probably don’t need to include the organization’s name, but mentioning your title may be beneficial.

2. Don’t include any quotes. These are often more distracting and confusing than they are helpful, especially if they’re meant to be funny or ironic. Some people may not appreciate your sense of humor, so it’s best to keep it professional and leave quotes out of your email closing.

3. Leave off large photos or company logos. If your organization doesn’t require you to include these features, don’t add them. They can cause your emails to load slowly and create formatting problems. Plus, they just get clunky to have to scroll past if you’re trying to read back through an email chain.

4. Tailor your closing to the situation. Even if you have a go-to email closing, take a second to make sure it’s appropriate for the particular message you’re sending. Depending on the recipient and purpose, you may need to adjust it slightly.

   You can even use a more formal phrase in your first message and an informal one during the rest of your conversation.

5. Focus on being professional instead of expressing your personality. While it may be tempting to make your sign-off unique, it’s better to aim toward one that is crowd-pleasing.

   Choose a basic font and color for your signature, and don’t use any emojis or other graphics that aren’t provided by the company. While you and your close colleagues may enjoy these little touches, not everyone will, and it may affect your ability to get a response from or build a professional relationship with the recipient.

Why Email Closings Are Important

Even though it’s normal to get nervous before a big interview, you shouldn’t let your anxiety determine how you perform when the time comes. The good news is that it’s easy to take control and push your nervousness aside, and we’re here to show you how.

With that in mind, here are the 12 best tips for conquering interview anxiety so you can land the job:

• Doing a mock interview before your actual interview is a great way to ease your nerves and know what to be prepared for.

• Picturing yourself as successful can be a great way to boost your confidence before the interview.

• Make sure to relax and do some meditation before your interview to calm yourself down.

• Fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, and fear of selling yourself short can be some of the most common reasons to cause interview anxiety.

12 Tips to Overcome Interview Anxiety

1. Practice breathing exercises. There’s countless benefits of meditation, but it’s very rare for many of us to actually set aside time in our day to practice these exercises.

   Luckily, meditation for calming your nerves won’t require you to pull out a yoga mat and practice your best om’s. Meditation can be as easy as closing your eyes and counting your breathing.

   To give yourself more energy, set a timer for two minutes, close your eyes, and inhale through your nose for four counts, and exhale for three. To help soothe your nerves and calm down, inhale for three counts, and exhale for four.

   Focusing on your breathing will distract your mind from your nervous feelings and allow you to center yourself.

2. Eat a substantial meal. You should try to eat enough so that your stomach isn’t grumbling throughout your interview and interrupting your thought process.

   Having a full stomach will give you energy and help you keep your focus on the interview. Make sure to pick a meal that’s right for you, whether it’s a healthy meal or indulging in your favorite comfort foods. Just make sure to actually have something in your belly other than coffee.

   Be careful not to over-caffeinate or eat something too heavy. And avoid alcohol the night before and right before your interview, even if you think it “relaxes” you. A nice light meal and plenty of water is your best bet for calming pre-interview jitters.

3. Exercise the morning of the interview. Setting aside some time the morning of an interview to get some exercise is a great way to clear your head and ease any jitters. Try to wake up early and go to the gym, go for a run, or, heck, even just take a walk around your neighborhood.

   Getting a little exercise takes a bit more effort than simple breathing exercises, but some fresh air and a burst of energy is a great way to ease your mind and shift your focus on your upcoming interview.

   Most of the nervous reactions our body undergoes when experiencing stress can be negated or at least mitigated with exercise. When you exercise, you’re using up all that extra, unnecessary adrenaline and cortisol coursing through your body, and you’ll feel less stressed as a result.

4. Picture yourself being successful. Instead of dreading over all of the things that could possibly go wrong, visualize yourself totally crushing your interview. Picture yourself walking in with confidence, making a great impression, and blowing away your interviewer with all of your flawless answers to their questions.

   The power of positive visualization cannot be understated. We begin creating our own reality the moment we begin imagining it. Imagining yourself being successful will make you feel more confident and ready to tackle the interview, instead of feeling defeated before you even have a chance to introduce yourself.

5. Practice good body language. Instead of slouching over with your head down and your arms crossed, stand up straight, keep your head up, and speak with purpose. Acting like a confident person will make you feel more confident, and you’ll radiate positivity.

   You can even practice “power poses” before the interview. Some well-known power poses include “The CEO” (legs crossed, feet raised, hands behind head) and “The Wonderwoman” (arms akimbo, legs slightly spread, back straight). Studies have shown that putting your body in these positions of power can affect confidence levels.

6. Make sure to smile. Take a break from being the cynical pessimist that you are and plaster a smile on your face. No one wants to hire a grumpy bastard.

   Even if you’re feeling sad and discouraged, smiling has the ability to trick your brain into thinking you’re actually happy. So if you’re feeling scared and anxious, try smiling to turn your mood around.

   It’s a similar principle to power poses — the human body can easily be tricked into certain emotions by engaging in certain behaviors. Take advantage of this hack and “fake it ’til you make it.”

7. Practice before the interview. The most important thing you can do to rid yourself of nervous feelings is to practice and prepare for your interview ahead of time.

   Read up on the most common questions you can expect to hear during an interview, prepare your answers to them, and practice your responses either by yourself or with a friend. Knowing what to say ahead of time will ease your nerves and boost your confidence.

   Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just wing it. Trust us — you can’t. When you run into a question you haven’t thought about, you’ll freeze up and might lose your chances of getting a job offer. Let’s not let that happen.

8. Make a cheat sheet. Make a list of everything that’s causing you anxiety, and an immediate solution.

   If you’re worried about finding the building, look up the address and directions ahead of time and write it down. If you’re scared that you might forget your interviewer’s name, add it to your cheat sheet! If there are three major points you’re worried you might forget to address, write them down. Whatever is causing you anxiety, add it to your cheat sheet.

   Whenever your cheat sheet feel complete, slip that bad boy in with your other interview materials. Look over it while you’re waiting for your interview to begin so you’ll have everything fresh in your brain.

9. Give yourself a pep talk. Give yourself positive affirmations to improve your confidence and provide some motivation to crush your interview. Tell yourself everything you need to hear, particularly the things you’re nervous about. Here a list of some great affirmations proven to boost your mood:

   • You’re smart

   • You’re qualified

   • You deserve this

   • You’re going to do great today

   Make these affirmations your mantra, and say them to yourself out loud. Just make sure that you give yourself this pep talk in a private or quiet place — just in case!

10. Relax before the interview. Before you head into the interview room, take some time to relax. This could take the form of writing down all your negative, anxious thoughts as a way of dispelling them or simply talking to a friend and having them tell you how awesome you are.

    Or you can simply listen to music or watch a funny show or movie. If you just can’t shake your stress, don’t stress out about it — it becomes a compounding problem if you. Simply accept that you’re feeling anxious, tell yourself it’s normal to feel that way, and don’t judge yourself for it.

11. Be thoughtful during the interview. When we’re anxious, we have a tendency to speak quickly. Our focus also tends to be a little worse when we’re stressed out. Get out of your own head and engage with the interviewer and any other company member you meet during the interview process.

    • Make small talk and be an active listener who makes your conversational partner feel values. And during the interview, ask questions, rather than just waiting for the end of the interview. When you become a more active conversational partner rather than the subject of an interrogation, it will change your mindset and make you more comfortable.

    • As always, think carefully about all interview questions before answering. A moment of silence is much better than several minutes of word vomit as you search around for a good answer in real-time.

    • Don’t force your response when you don’t know how to answer a question or get flustered. Simply say that it’s a great question and you’d like more time to think about it before returning to it, or ask for clarification and get the conversation on ground you understand better.

12. Use your anxiety as fuel. We all know that feeling anxious can give us a rush of adrenaline. So, in case those breathing exercises don’t do their job, just go ahead and embrace the adrenaline!

    Reframe your nervous energy as being excited to make yourself feel amped up. That way, you’ll perform better rather than letting your anxiety overwhelm you instead of curbing your enthusiasm.

Common Reasons for Interview Anxiety

• Fear of rejection. When going to an interview you want to do well and get hired. Preparing can help build your confidence but once you get to the interview and see the other candidates, doubt can creep in and start to give you anxiety.

• Fear of the unknown. Interviewing for a position can lead to not knowing where your life might be going. It could lead you to a great position or it could lead you to not getting the job and needing to find another job ASAP.

• Lack of experience. Applying for a job that you don’t have all of the qualifications for can feel like a gamble. Some interviewers want to give you a chance, but others don’t even want to bother with the idea of training you. Even if you have all of the qualifications for the job, seeing other candidates might make you feel less qualified for the position.

• Fear of being desperate. If you have been out of a job for a while or you keep getting rejected for different jobs, you might not want to come off as being desperate. When the pressure of needing a job starts to show, it could lead to anxiety about doing well in the interview.

• Fear of selling yourself short. During an interview you are basically selling yourself and why you are the best person for the position. During an interview, you may not want to sell yourself too much or too little incase you come off sounding overqualified or underqualified.

Final Thoughts

Interviews can be a stressful time for all of us, but it’s important to take control of your anxiety and not let it control you. When it comes down to it, an interview is really just a conversation. As much as you’re hoping to impress them, the interviewer is hoping that you’ll be the perfect fit.

Just remember to breathe, smile, and take some time to practice beforehand. Keep your focus on the job, picture yourself being successful, and you’re sure to crush your interview and land the job!

Job interviews are stressful. With all of the suffocating pressure to say all the right things, it’s easy to slip up and say something wrong. There’s always a chance you say something that costs you a sweet job opportunity, even if you have all of the right qualifications. But hey, no pressure!

We have 17 things you shouldn’t say during an interview to help your interview go smoothly and help you stand out from other candidates.

• During a job interview, everything you say matters, so you want to make sure you’re focused on showing employers the best version of yourself and making a great impression, while making as few mistakes as possible.

• You don’t want to say anything that makes it look like you don’t know what the company does, and that you didn’t do any research before coming to the interview.

• You should avoid saying “I don’t know” and not asking any questions during the interview.

17 Things You Should Never Say In A Job Interview

1. “So sorry I’m late!”

   Why you shouldn’t say it: Being late is a guaranteed way to make a bad impression before you even meet your interviewer, and there’s little chance that you’ll be able to recover from such an impression. First impressions are a big deciding factor in whether a company hires someone or not, so make yours count.

   When you show up late for an interview, it shows that you have poor time management skills, and it shows that you don’t respect the company or the position. Yikes. Just be on time, or better yet, show up ten minutes early.

2. “Could you hold on for a second? I have to take this.”

   Why you shouldn’t say it: Texting or answering calls during an interview basically tells employers that you don’t care about the job opportunity and you have no problem with wasting their time. Ouch. Not the best move to make when you’re trying to land a job.

   Just put your phone away and turn it completely off. Your priority is to give the interviewer your full attention, so make sure your phone doesn’t make an appearance. We know it’s hard to separate ourselves from our beloved smartphones, but you’ll be reunited soon enough.

3. “I’m a perfectionist.”

   Why you shouldn’t say it: A classic interview mistake is to answer the greatest weakness question with a strength. Saying that you’re a perfectionist or a workaholic isn’t going to impress anyone. In fact, you’ll sound just like everyone else who didn’t get the job.

   Everyone has a weakness. The trick is to show the interviewer that you’re taking the steps necessary to improve upon your weaknesses, not that you’re just a completely perfect person with no faults.

4. “So, what exactly do you guys do around here?”

   Why you shouldn’t say it: If you don’t do some background research on the company before the interview, you might as well just not go at all. You never want to walk into the interview clueless about the company or the position.

   Plus, if you get the classic “What do you know about our company?” interview question, you’ll be left to make up something on the spot, and that never turns out well.

   You want to show employers that you took the time to research the company and learn as much as you could — it lets them know that you’re motivated and genuinely excited to work with the company. Check out their company website and read up on their “About Us” section; you’re likely to find everything you need.

5. “I know I don’t have much experience and I’m probably not the best fit, but…”

   Why you shouldn’t say it: Don’t downplay your strengths! A job interview is not the time for you to be humble. On the contrary — it’s a time for you to sell yourself to employers on why you would be the perfect fit. Even if you don’t have all of the qualifications, that doesn’t mean you’re not the best person for the job.

   Instead of drawing attention to your shortcomings, focus on the skills and experiences you do have, and how they can help you succeed in the position. Show the interviewer that you’re excited about the opportunity — a little enthusiasm can take you much further than just having a list of qualifications.

6. “How much vacation time do I get?”

   Why you shouldn’t say it: You haven’t even gotten a job offer, and you’re already asking about when you can leave. Yikes! Asking questions about time off during an interview will make employers think that you don’t even want to be there.

   During an interview, employers want to know what you can do to help their company succeed, not how they can meet a list of your demands. If you get a job offer, vacation time will come up in the conversation — but if you bring up vacation time during the interview, you’ll probably be getting a rejection letter instead.

   The same goes for questions about salary, flexible scheduling, or any other benefits or perks.

7. “I’m a go-getter who thinks outside the box.”

   Why you shouldn’t say it: Yawn! You might as well be saying “I’m a boring generic person who has no imagination and can’t think for themselves.” Skip the lame buzzwords. What are you “go-getting” anyway?

   If you want to impress employers by showing them that you’re creative and a hard worker, show them that with your stories. Use words like “achieved,” “developed,” “created,” or “organized.” Using generic buzzwords with nothing to back them up is essentially giving employers an empty promise.

   And whatever you do, please, leave “synergy” out of the conversation.

8. “I don’t know.”

   Why you shouldn’t say it: If you answer an interview question with “I don’t know,” you’re basically forfeiting the position to someone who can give basically any other answer.

   Prepare ahead of time by practicing your answers to the most common interview questions. Even if you run into a question during the interview that stumps you, use one of these tactics. Anything is better than “I don’t know.”

9. “It’s on my resume.”

   Why you shouldn’t say it:This rude response to a question is surprisingly common. You might think you’re doing the interviewer a favor by pointing them to the information they asked about so they can see it in a well-formatted way.

   But interviewers have already looked at your resume and you’re in the interview stage now. At this point, the hiring manager or recruiter is more interested in how you talk about your professional experiences. Your communication skills are being tested just as much as your credentials.

   Your resume can be a great jumping-off point, but you have to make that dry document come alive throughout the conversation.

10. “My last boss was a jerk.”

    Why you shouldn’t say it: You might think some iteration of the above statement is an acceptable answer to questions like “why are you looking for a new job” or “why did you leave your last position.” These questions aren’t necessarily trying to bait you into negativity, but they do seem to invite a negative answer.

    Avoid this temptation at all times. Talking negatively about your former boss, coworkers, or company writ large will raise red flags for most hiring managers and recruiters. The thing is, they only have your side of the story — as far as they’re concerned, it’s just as likely that you were the problem.

    When you’re directly asked about a negative situation, always turn the conversation back to positivity. For example, if you’re asked about what you didn’t like about your old workplace, focus more on the positive changes you would’ve made and the lessons you learned from the experience.

11. “I have the perfect answer for that…”

    Why you shouldn’t say it: Okay, so that’s not exactly what you’d say (we hope). But what we’re really talking about here is memorizing your answers and spouting them out like you’re reading from a book. While it’s a great idea to prepare for the most common interview questions, you should always leave yourself some room for improvisation.

    Interviewers want to hire people with the right qualifications, but they also want to add a personable, authentic person to their roster, not a finely-tuned robot.

    We recommend coming up with several stories that cover all of the major categories of interview questions (accomplishments, conflicts, goals, etc.) and then prepare a rough set of bullet points for each. That way, you’ll have the skeleton of a script that ensures you hit the most important points in your response, without locking yourself into memorizing a monologue.

12. “Oh damn, really?”

    Why you shouldn’t say it: Cursing is a big no-no at a job interview. It makes it seem like you’re taking the whole process too casually and some people find bad language disrespectful. Even if they’re not so prim and proper, most interviewers will take note of it and chalk it up to a lack of professionalism.

    You might have the most casual interviewer in the world — a guy who swears so much he’d put a pirate to shame. That doesn’t give you license to swear at all. Regardless of the tone of the interview, keep your language family-friendly.

13. “And on my sixth trip around Asia…”

    Why you shouldn’t say it: A bit of small talk and conversation about non-work-related topics is perfectly fine at a job interview. Some interviewers enjoy warming up the conversation this way or winding down with more off-the-cuff conversation.

    But when you start going into detail about your personal life and aspirations that have nothing to do with the job, you’re going to lose the interest of most hiring managers and recruiters. Start slow when you’re sharing information about a hobby or experience that’s unrelated to the job. Gauge the interviewer’s interest and go from there.

14. “This job will give me…”

    Why you shouldn’t say it:At first glance, a statement about wanting the job because it will give you great experience sounds harmless. But to an interviewer, it sounds selfish and a bad reason for wanting the job.

    While you can talk about being attracted to professional development opportunities and working alongside such talented individuals, you want to avoid sounding like the company will be paying you and educating you at the same time.

    Instead, focus on the value that you’ll bring to the company. Always consider how your work fits into the broader goals of the employer, and frame your answers and motivations that way. While you might only want this job as a stepping stone to a grander career, it’s essential you don’t express that as your primary objective.

15. “Um, like, er”

    Why you shouldn’t say it: Filler words like this make you sound unprofessional and lacking in confidence. A hiring manager might reasonably think that you’ll have trouble communicating clearly with clients or team members, which is a necessity for most jobs.

    We recommend performing a mock interview and recording yourself speaking. You might already have a good grasp on your biggest verbal tics, but listening to them can help you identify speech patterns you’d like to avoid.

    Of course, these sorts of habits don’t go away overnight — just be conscious of them and minimize how often you let them slip during your interview.

16. “No, I don’t have any questions.”

    Why you shouldn’t say it: Big mistake. Huge! When the interview is coming to a close and you’re asked “So, do you have any questions for me?” you should always have a sturdy list of questions on hand for the interviewer. And never, no matter what, say “Nope! No questions here!”

    Not having any questions basically tells employers that you don’t care about the company or the position enough to learn anything else about them. Having questions will also make your interview feel more like a conversation rather than a criminal interrogation.

17. “Do you have an idea of when we’ll be wrapping this up?”

    Why you shouldn’t say it: Asking about when the interview will be over gives the impression that you have somewhere more important to be. Your interview should be your number one priority, so treat it as such. If an employer thinks that there’s somewhere else you’d rather be, you can expect the interview to be over pretty quickly, along with your chances of getting the job.

Final Thoughts

Your biggest goal during a job interview is to show employers why you’re the best person for the job. Remember to focus on showing them what you have to offer, how you can help their company, and that you’re motivated to work with their team.

Saying anything that could make employers think otherwise is a great way to get yourself removed from the hiring process. Let’s not let this happen.

Be confident, do your research, and make the interview your biggest priority, and you’re sure to say all the right things and land the job!

• Business casual dress codes are often employed in work settings where employees have regular interaction with customers and clients.

• Check your employee handbook for a dress code policy, or check out the company website before going into an interview.

• One way to quickly know what is acceptable and what’s not is to follow what other people are wearing to the office.

• Avoid wearing anything too casual such as ripped jeans, tank tops, and flip flops.

What Is Business Casual?

Basics of Grooming

• Be sure that your clothes are washed, ironed, and fit comfortably

• Don’t wear any clothing with stains or holes

• Shower and apply deodorant

• Shave or groom facial hair

• Have a clean face or light, natural makeup

• Clean and trim nails

• Be sure hair is brushed and neat

Business Casual Dress for Men and Women

Feminine Business Casual Clothing

1. Tops:

   • Blouses and loose-fitting dress shirts

   • Sleeveless dress shirts (worn as a layered look with outerwear)

   • Turtleneck, mock neck and cowl neck sweaters

   • Professional knee-length or midi dresses

2. Bottoms:

   • Pencil skirts (a great business casual staple, try getting several in different fabrics)

   • Neutral-colored or dark jewel toned midi skirts

   • Khaki pants

   • Straight or pegged fitting trousers

3. Outerwear: Layering outerwear with blouses and dresses is always a great, stylish option, especially in colder regions and months.

   • Cardigans in seasonal fall and winter colors

   • Fitted blazers

   • Cinched vests

   • Tailored suit jackets

   • Pea coats

4. Shoes:

   • Ballet flats (worn with “no show” socks or hosiery)

   • Heels (under five inches)

   • Oxfords

   • Mules

5. Accessories:

   • Neutral colored hosiery

   • Small jewelry such as diamond stud earrings, simple necklaces, and tasteful rings

   • Scarves in plain colors, simple prints, or plaid

   • Skinny belts

Masculine Business Casual Clothing

1. Tops:

   • Long or short sleeve button-up shirts in plain colors or simple prints

   • Polo shirts (dressed up with sport coats or other outerwear)

   • Dress shirts (typically worn without a tie in business casual settings)

   • Solid, seasonal colored sweaters (try layering over button-ups and dress shirts)

   • Solid color t-shirts (worn with outerwear)

2. Bottoms:

   • Slim fit or tailored fit dress pants

   • Slacks in dark neutral colors, beige, or subdued plaid

   • Chinos

   • Khakis

   • Well-tailored, dark wash jeans (pair with button-ups or dress shirts)

3. Shoes: Almost always, shoes should be black or brown leather or well-made faux leather.

   • Oxfords (try suede material for a stylish, professional alternative to leather)

   • Brogues

   • Formal boots

   • Loafers

4. Outerwear: Layering outerwear with business casual tops is a very stylish option for colder regions and months.

   • Structured jackets

   • Sport Coats

   • Cardigans

5. Accessories:

   • Belts (matched to shoes)

   • Watches

   • Ties are typically considered more formal accessories, but can be made business casual by pairing with dark wash jeans

What Not to Wear for Business Casual Attire

• Crop tops or spaghetti-strap tops

• Tops and t-shirts with writing or graphic images

• Sportswear

• Shorts or skirts that do not cover to at least the knee

• Cargo shorts

• Leggings worn as pants

• Distressed jeans

• Sneakers

• Flip flops

• Heavy makeup

Business Casual for Job Interviews

Business Casual in the Workplace Tips

• Follow the crowd. A culture is born in part thanks to conformity to a certain approach and style. Whether you’re the new person in the office or you’re thinking about updating your wardrobe, consider how folks dress and what styles seem to work best.

  This is especially new before starting a new job. Your impulse might be to go out and buy a bunch of new clothes before starting, but you should wait and see what business casual means for your particular workspace before you go on an all-out shopping spree.

  All this being said, business casual is still a varied enough subset of clothing that you still have plenty of room to express your personality, even if you are following general trends.

• Be consistent. It’s a little jarring when one of your coworkers goes from wearing khakis and a sweater one day to a three-piece suit the next day. When you solidify your look, you’re actually doing a lot to cultivate a sense of dependability and stability.

  Plus, if you start showing up in more and more casual clothes, people might assume that signifies a decline in how much you care about the job. Even on casual Fridays, aim to wear clothing that’s client-facing ready, even if you’re unlikely to represent the company in any way that day.

• Think about your day. On days when you have to give a presentation, meet a client for lunch, ask for a raise, or anything else that requires you to look sharp, it’s probably best to err on the more formal side of business casual.

  It’s also important to consider your audience. Maybe your company prefers a relaxed look, but the company you’re meeting with has a really traditional, conservative style. On days like that, it’s probably best to wear business formal clothes.

• Beware of casual Fridays. Not every company will have a casual Friday. It’s a good idea to either ask your coworkers if they participate in it, and what type of things are accepted. If you are unsure if an outfit is appropriate for a casual Friday, try sending your outfit to another coworker or your boss for approval.

Business Casual Attire FAQ

1. Why do companies have business casual dress codes?

   Organizations use dress codes to enforce varying degrees of uniformity and to communicate a specific message to employees and those that interact with the organization. Safety measures and industry requirements are also considered when deciding on a dress code.

   Companies are very specific in what image they wish to convey, and this affects every visual or (semi-) public aspect of how the company is run. A business casual dress code allows a degree of freedom in dressing for employees, while still communicating that this is a serious business environment. A business casual dress code (as opposed to formal business wear) often communicates more creativity and warmth.

2. What do you wear when there’s no dress code policy?

   When there’s no dress code policy, it can be a bit tricky to know what’s expected of you and your wardrobe. If you’re starting at a new job, it’s best to dress more on the formal side and take note of what employees around you are wearing. Never go to a first day on the job dressed in overly casual clothing.

   Another good rule of thumb is to “dress for the job you want.” In other words, look to what higher-ups and senior members of your organization are wearing and use them as examples of how you should be dressing. Perhaps you can even see what your heroes or mentors within your general industry are wearing in professional settings and model your work wardrobe after them.

   Please keep in mind that the above tips are geared towards typical, American workplaces and a generalized definition of what “business casual” means. If you are in a specialized industry, especially one dealing with fashion or makeup, the expectations for how you will dress for work will likely be a bit different.

3. Are jeans considered business casual?

   Clean, denim slacks without any holes or distressing would be considered business casual. Always check the employee dress code or ask a coworker if jeans are allowed before wearing them to work.

   Avoid wearing any jeans that look too acid-washed or faded. If you do wear jeans with your outfit, try to dress up your shirt and jacket.

Final Thoughts

• A second interview typically have more in-depth questions and are focused on whether or not you are the ideal candidate.

• When preparing for a second interview, make sure you go over all your research you did from your first interview.

• Be prepared for more behavioral questions and answer using the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method.

• It’s important to ask more in-depth questions to the interviewer than you did in the first interview.

How to Prepare for a Second Interview

Preparing for your second interview shouldn’t be a passive process — now that you know the responsibilities and the company’s needs, use that information to prepare examples and stories that describe your abilities.

Some of the interview questions may be the same as the questions you were asked at the first interview, but others will be very different — you’ll have new interviewers, they’ll have forgotten your answers, and they may even want to see if you answer the same way.

You can think of the first interview as an opportunity for interviewers to learn about who you are as a person and to figure out off the bat if you’d ever be able to perform the job’s duties. The second one will be to discern whether your skillset would be a good fit.

1. Review your research. Learn as much as you can about the job and the company, so you can more accurately tailor your answers to describe what you can offer your potential new employer.

   The research you presumably did for your first interview is crucial here — what is the company proud of? How do they present themselves on social media? What community outreach and press relations efforts are they pushing?

   And don’t stop trying to learn more — when you’re notified that you’ll be going through a second interview, ask who will be conducting it and learn about them. Google their names, find them on LinkedIn, see if they’ve published any articles or papers.

2. Practice your presentation. You’ve worked on your elevator pitch and you’ve brought your materials — don’t forget to practice presenting both, as this is often the time when you’ll meet the people you’ll be working with and not just hiring manager types.

   • Remember to be consistent. Your second interviewer is most likely going to read over the first one’s notes, and if you have multiple interviewers in the second round you can bet they’re going to talk about you and compare notes.

   • Be consistent on your work history, skills, and experience — don’t try to appeal to any particular interviewer that you misrepresent yourself. That means no lying, which is always good interview etiquette.

   • As always, review your resume and take notes on what you discussed and the questions you were asked.

3. Ask more specific questions. Just as the interviewers are going to be asking you more detailed questions that help them figure out who you are, you should be doing the same. Even if you have your heart set on this position already, you should take these questions as opportunities to impress them with your interest and showcase how your mind works.

   • How would you describe the culture here?

   • How do you measure performance?

   • What opportunities would I have in this position to best impact the company?

   • Are there any challenges I could expect to face in my first few months here?

4. Learn about the company culture. If your predecessor was promoted, it indicates room for growth and you can divine how long you’ll need to be in the position before you move up.

   And it’s a bit more sensitive, but you can also figure out a bit about the company and your supervisor by learning about why the previous person was fired. If they didn’t perform, you can figure out on the fly how success is measured — and if they were fired quickly, you can learn a bit about how the company values its employees.

   And while it’s not an opportunity to begin talking about salary requirements, you can ask questions that are a bit more presumptuous.

   • What would the next step be in the hiring process, and when should I expect to hear about it?

   • If hired, when would you like for me to start?

5. Be prepared for behavioral interview questions. While you probably got the what-would-you-do, straightforward questions like “What motivates you?” and “Tell me about yourself” in the first interview, this is often the time when you’ll get the what-did-you-do questions — so not “how would you handle yourself if you disagreed with a coworker”, but “how have you coped with unruly clients in the past”.

   Rehearse a few stories from your past or work history that tell a lot about who you are as a person. Things that characterize you as a team player through your actions make for a lot stronger answers than just saying, “I’m a team player,” for example.

   The best approach to behavioral interview questions is to use the STAR method:

   • Situation. Briefly describe the context of your story.

   • Task. Talk about your task (whether you were assigned to something or took it up yourself) in the given context. The “situation” and “task” section of your answer can be blended into the first couple of introductory sentences.

   • Action. This is the real meat of your answer — talk about how you handled the situation. The richer detail you can give on the “how” and “why” of your job, the more substantive your answer will be.

   • Result. Finally, detail the conclusion of your story. The result should always be positive, even if the question is about a negative situation like conflicts or mistakes. Focus on what you learned and improvements you’ve made, and never place blame on a third party.

6. Answer questions directly. Resist the temptation to ignore the question. That sounds like a given, but people have a tendency to just talk about themselves instead of talking about themselves in a way that answers the question.<

   • Ask for clarification if you need it.

   • Describe a scenario you were in that echoes the one they describe.

   • Discuss what it was that you did to address it.

   • Detail the outcomes.

   Remember to do all of the above in a way that casts you in a positive light, even when you’re asked about a negative experience or hypothetical.

   Remember, the interviewer is trying to gauge if your previous behavior makes you a good fit — but if your current behavior is bombastically ignoring their questions so you can talk about yourself, it’s answering that question in another way.

Example Answers to Second Interview Questions

The key thing to do here is frame the situation or story you want to tell in terms of the question they ask, then describe the situation while finally returning to a succinct answer.

1. How do you handle being given multiple tasks that share the same deadline?

   I feel that the most important thing to do with concurrent deadlines is to rank them by priority and then determine how long each of those tasks should take — because even if my goal is as always to finish them all, my overarching goal is to allocate my time in a way that best benefits the company.

   As a web content creator, I would rather put out a product that stands on its own merits — so in the past, I’ve had to decide which stories could actually be written to our high standard in the given period of time and complete them first, knowing that it’s not an option to sacrifice quality of work just to meet deadlines.

   If it became clear that I couldn’t meet my deadlines, I would reach out to my supervisor to make sure that my priorities were aligned with theirs, and then see if we could collaborate with others on my team to meet our deadlines.

2. What do you know about our competition and how we’re different from them? Why do you want to work here and not there?

   What stood out to me in my research was how happy your employees are. In my conversations with people who work here, I’ve learned that there’s a genuine spirit of collaboration and camaraderie that extends across departments. In my past positions, there’s always been a sense of disconnect between teams and it often makes working on projects frustrating. For example, the biweekly “all hands” meeting you hold sounds interesting and particularly beneficial to me. Having a high-level coordination event like that so frequently ensures consistency across the company. As a hyper-organized individual who likes to keep the big picture in mind, this sort of company culture brings me much-needed structure and cohesion that makes setting my priorities much more straightforward.

3. Tell me about a time when a project’s priorities changed suddenly and you had to adapt.

   In my last position, we had a goal of revamping a client’s website for monetization. The client wasn’t precisely sure how they wanted to incorporate ads and other paid service offers on their page without harming the overall user experience. Our team drew up several options and started A/B testing to see which performed best, both from a monetary and engagement perspective. However, as we started rolling this out, our client’s priorities shifted entirely to affiliate marketing. While they expected a long turn-around time for what they felt was a radically different request, our team was able to deliver new options in a quarter of the time. Using the templates we had developed and the same A/B testing process, we had a polished website ready under time and under budget. The affiliate marketing campaign went on to be a success.

4. Tell me about a time you’ve disagreed with a coworker or supervisor. How did you handle the situation?

   I tend to be a go-with-the-flow type, but when I see a needlessly inefficient or expensive process, my OCD kicks in. My last supervisor religiously kept to a manual describing the protocol for all projects. It was devised over the course of his career, and it had a lot of useful and beneficial guidelines. However, one of those guidelines was proving to be a major bottleneck — requesting funding for each element of the project as it came up. I brought my concerns to him after multiple projects started falling behind, and he explained that it was a cost-saving measure he’d learned from wasted cash in the past. I told him I understood the motivation behind the protocol, but suggested requests come in bigger chunks, less frequently. We were able to reach a compromise where we had rolling monthly financial requests on a schedule for each department, so that funding was processed more quickly and finance could focus on one thing at a time. Projects moved along a lot more quickly after that, and my supervisor thanked me for the suggestion after he saw the results.

More common second interview questions:

The second interview leaves the powers that be with a list of candidates who meet their basic criteria, and now they want to figure out who from that list bests aligns with their company’s mission.

They’re going to want to know about you, but the point of the answers you give should focus on role-specific skills and not general qualities about yourself.

• What are some strengths that you will bring to this position?

• What type of work environment do you prefer?

• What salary would you expect for this role?

• Have you used our product/service before?

• Where do you see yourself in the next five to ten years?

• We’re going through some challenges with [job-specific challenge]. Do you have any thoughts on what we could be doing differently?

• What kinds of challenges do you enjoy in a job?

• Is there anything you want to discuss from your first interview?

Common Second Interview Mistakes to Avoid

If you make it to a second interview, you have the potential — interviewers are at this point looking for you to confirm that and also not screw up.

These are some of the attitudes that they don’t want to see — this is important to remember because even if you are the most eager, excited, and prepared candidate, perception is everything. Answer interview questions for the interviewer’s ears, not yours. Seeming disinterested or passive is a big no-no.

As we said before, if you’ve passed the first interview then you’re more or less qualified — this is to see if you and the company are a good match for each other.

• Being unprepared. You really should be prepared for second interview question by the time of your first interview, but your interviewers this time are going to expect for you to know a thing or two about the company and the role you’ll be filling.

  If you don’t demonstrate knowledge of services and products, a bit of company history, and what the industry is like then you’ll look like you aren’t genuinely interested in the position. In other words, don’t ask questions like “I’m sorry, what do you sell again?”

• Not asking questions. If you fail to ask questions about the role, you’ll come across as disinterested. People don’t want to hire someone who’s not excited, and they definitely don’t want to hire someone who may leave in the near future.

• Bringing up salary requirements. You shouldn’t bring up salary requirements, but when it comes to discussing things like benefits, salary, work schedule, and the like, employers are going to be looking for someone whose demands aren’t mismatched.

  If your interviewer asks what your salary requirements are, this is the time to tell them, but don’t mention it unless they ask.

• Being unwilling to adapt. Make sure that you present yourself as a person who can adapt to change. If the company is going to grow or demands an indication of some flexibility, you need to indicate that you are game for it and it won’t hurt your performance down the road.

• Assuming you have the position. Just because you were called back for a second interview doesn’t always mean you have the job. It means the interviewer wants to know more about you. Sometimes a large company may have two or three interviews during the interview process because of how many people need to interview before a decision is made.

Final Thoughts

The process might not be over. There may be further rounds of interviews, and if the competition for the position is particularly close you might get an email or phone call to follow up on one of your answers.

This isn’t an opportunity to embellish or present yourself in a better light — remember how you presented yourself and represented your answer, and clarify it.