The document provides dos and don'ts for job interviews, including preparing for the interview, dressing appropriately, communicating effectively, avoiding distractions, following up after the interview, and being aware of common mistakes like poor preparation, inappropriate attire, lack of communication, giving wrong answers, or badmouthing previous employers. It also lists commonly asked interview questions and tips for making a good impression during the interview.

1. DO'S
INTERVIEW
AND DONT’S
Ma. Martha Manette A. Madrid, Ed.D.
Lecturer
Heritage Mansion, Baguio City,
Philippines
October 2010

2. THE DO’S
DO prepare for the meeting. Bring
copies all of your forms and all your
document originals. You should be
able to respond to questions about
your forms without extensive
referencing and confusion.
DO be prepared to answer personal
questions if you are at an interview.
(for ex. related to your marriage)

4. DO follow the directions of the
officer. If the officer wants to
interview you and the others
separately, that is perfectly
appropriate.
DO listen carefully and answer only
the question that the officer asks
you.
DO bring an interpreter with you if
you do not understand English.

6. DO dress appropriately for the
occasion. This is an important meeting
for you, and a good impression can't hurt.
DO remain calm. If you don't understand
the question, ask the officer to rephrase
it. If you really do not know the answer
to a question, it is better to admit
ignorance than make something up. It
also helps to be prepared. If you know
there is a part of your application that
will raise suspicion, practice a truthful
response.

8. DO show up on time. The officers
are notoriously difficult to reach and
requests for changes in interview
times are not well received. If you
fail to show up for your appointment,
you may have to endure a lengthy
process to get another interview.
DO hire an attorney to accompany
you if the thought of going through an
interview alone is too overwhelming.

9. A
P
P
L
I
C
A
N
T
S

10. THE DON’TS
DON'T joke around with the
officer. In particular, avoid
joking or sarcasm related to
drug dealing, communicable
diseases, bigamy, or
smuggling people into the
country.

12.  DON'T argue with anyone or on
phone in the middle of an
interview. Agree before hand on
what you will do if a disagreement
arises during the interview.

14.  DON'T argue with the officer. If the
officer says part of your application is
incomplete, ask for an explanation
and attempt to remedy the situation
by using the documents and forms
you have brought with you.

16. DON'T lose your patience with the
officer and refuse to answer
questions. Questions that may seem
inappropriate or unimportant to you
are probably within the boundaries of
what is allowed by the organization or
team. Just remember what the pay
off is for going through with the
interview.

17. DON'T lie to the officer. If you
feel you have something that
would be difficult to explain,
hire an attorney. Your attorney
should be able to defuse
difficult situations during an
interview.

18. DO'S AND DONT'S
IN A HR INTERVIEW
 There are a number of things that you will
want to avoid during the HR interview
process. While some of these things are
directed at the interviewer, the other things
are directed at the applicant. If interviewers
fail to follow the proper procedures
throughout the interview process, it could
lead to problems with the company, and
they could lose the chance to hire a
qualified applicant.

20.  The first thing that you will want to pay
attention to is your appearance. The
way you are dressed when you arrive to an
interview will often play a role in whether or
not you are hired. Unfortunately, we live in a
world where the appearance of a person is
important. Even if you are highly qualified for
the job, you may not be hire for the position if
you do not have an appearance which is
acceptable to the person who is interviewing
you. If you are getting an office job, it is best
to be dressed in a nice suit. You should also
be well groomed

22.  Avoidbringing gadgets to the interview
process.
These things include MP3 players, PDAs, or any
handheld devices, especially those that make
noises. If your cell phone goes off while you are
being interviewed, there is a high probability that you
will not be hired by the company. When it comes to
your appearance, it is also important to make sure
you smell good. You should consume a breath mint
before the interview starts, and while wearing
perfume or cologne is good, you should never wear
too much. A number of studies have indicated that
about 60% of the things interviewers look for during
interviews are non-verbal instead of verbal.

24.  Your body language and appearance is
crucially important, and you will want to
pay attention to it.
Never laugh during an interview unless the
interviewer laughs first. When you first walk in, shake
their hand firmly, and do it again at the end of the
interview. It is important to make sure your palms are
not sweaty. If you wash your hands before the
interview, make sure they are dry before it begins.
Human resources interviews can be a difficult process.
The applicants tend to be nervous, and the
interviewers must make sure they ask questions that
are appropriate. However, the interview process will go
smoothly is both sides understand the procedures that
must be carried out.

26. If you are the applicant, it is
important to avoid saying
negative things about your
former boss, even if you feel
your statements are justified.
This will convey a bad message
to the person that is interviewing
you. It is also important to make sure
you speak properly.

27. TOP 10 INTERVIEW BLUNDERS
1. Don't Prepare
Not being able to answer the question
"What do you know about this company?"
might just end your quest for employment, at
least with this employer. Background
information including company history,
locations, divisions, and a mission statement
are available in an "About Us" section on most
company web sites. Review it ahead of time,
then print it out and read it over just before your
interview to refresh your memory.

29. 2. Dress Inappropriately
Dressing inappropriately can work both
ways. You will certainly want to wear a suit if
you are interviewing for professional position.
When interviewing for a summer job at your
local theme park or as a lifeguard, for
example, dress accordingly in neat and
casual attire. If you aren't sure what to wear,
visit the organization and watch employees
coming in and out of the office to see what
they are wearing.

30. 3. Poor Communication
Skills
It's important to
communicate well with
everyone you meet in your
search for employment. It is,
however, most important to
positively connect with the
person who might hire you.
Shake hands, make eye
contact, exude confidence,
engage the person you are
speaking with, and you will let
the interviewer know that you
are an excellent candidate for
this position - before you even
answer an interview question.

31. 4. Too Much Communication
Believe it or not, a recent candidate
for employment, who, by the way, didn't
get the job, didn't hesitate to answer his
cell phone when it rang during an
interview. Leave the phone behind or at
least turn it off before you enter the
building. Same goes for coffee, food
and anything else other than you, your
resume, your job application, and your
list of references. They don't belong at
an interview.

32. 5. Talk Too Much
There is nothing much
worse than interviewing
someone who goes on
and on and on... The
interviewer really doesn't
need to know your whole
life story. Keep your
answers succinct, to-the-
point and focused and
don't ramble - simply
answer the question.

33. 6. Don't Talk Enough
It's really hard to
communicate with
someone who answers a
question with a word or
two. I remember a couple
of interviews where I felt
like I was pulling teeth to
get any answers from the
candidate. It wasn't
pleasant. So, even though
you shouldn't talk too
much, you do want to be
responsive and fully
answer the question as
best you can.

34. 7. Fuzzy Facts
Even if you have
submitted a resume when
you applied for the job, you
may also be asked to fill out
a job application. Make sure
you know the information
you will need to complete
an application including
dates of prior employment,
graduation dates, and
employer contact
information.

35. 8. Give the Wrong
Answer
Make sure you
listen to the question
and take a moment to
gather your thoughts
before you respond.
Like the following
candidate, you'll knock
yourself out of
contention if you give
the wrong answer.

36. 9. Badmouthing Past
Employers
Your last boss was an idiot?
Everyone in the company was a
jerk? You hated your job and
couldn't wait to leave? Even if it's
true don't say so. I cringed when
I heard someone ranting and
raving about the last company
she worked for. That company
happened to be our largest
customer and, of course, I wasn't
going to hire someone who felt
that way about the company and
everyone who worked there.

37. 10. Forget to Follow Up
Afraid you didn't make the best impression? Are
you sure that you aced the interviewed? Either way,
be sure to follow up with a thank you note reiterating
your interest in the position and the company.
 Finally,even if you do flub the interview,
don't take it to heart. I don't think there is
anyone hasn't blown an interview or two. If it
happens, look at it like it just wasn't meant to
be, learn from your mistakes and move on to
the next opportunity.

39. PREPARATIONS FOR THE
INTERVIEW
Know the Company
Dress properly
Be punctual and patient
Review and Practice

40. TIPS DURING THE INTERVIEW
• Relax
• Maintain Eye Contact
• Listen attentively
• Speak clearly and to the point

41. TIPS DURING THE INTERVIEW
• Be Confident

42. COMMONLY ASK QUESTIONS IN A
HR INTERVIEW
• Will you tell me about your self?
• What do you know about our
organization?
• Why should we hire you?
• What do you looking for in a job?

43. • Please give me your definitions
of the position for which you are
being interviewed.
• How long would you stay with
us?
• What important trends do you
see in our industry?
• What do you feel this position
should pay?

44. COMMONLY ASK QUESTIONS IN A
SINGAPOREAN INTERVIEW
• What is your personality?
• Tell something about your personality
• What are your hobbies?
• Tell something about your OJT.
• What are the kinds of snacks?
• What is Food and Beverage?
• And other things about your course?

45. • Why do you want to go to Singapore?
• Tell something about Singapore.
• How will you handle customers’
complaints?
• Others might be given situations and
ask how to deal with it?