As the name implies, off campus interviews are interviews which are held off campus. They are the opposite of on campus interviews, where the job interviews are held on campus. While the two interview types are distinct, the methods used for completing them both properly are nearly identical. You will want to do all the same basic things with the off campus interview that you would do with the on campus type, including showing up on time, speaking clearly, giving a solid handshake, dressing appropriately for the occasion, and giving the correct gaze. However, it is also important to maintain the right posture as well.

In most off campus interview situations, you will be sitting down, and if this is the case, you will want to sit up straight. If you happen to be standing up, you will want to make sure you stand up straight as well. The off campus interview is a delicate process. Your objective is to impress the interviewer so that you’re capable of landing the job. To do this, you must leave no room for error. Evert hing must be done properly and with attention to detail. When it comes to job interviews, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of paying attention to the details.

Details To Pay Attention

Just as it is the little things that count in life, it is the little things that can kill your job interview. If you’re like most people these days, you probably carry a cell phone. Cell phones are convenient; they allow you to send and receive calls from remote locations, but this feature can become your worst nightmare if the cell phone goes off during your job interview. The rules regarding cell phones during a job interview are the same as the rules regarding them in the classroom: turn them off. Another thing to pay attention to is the volume of your voice. The last thing you want is for the interviewer to have to ask you to repeat what you said, or even worse, to speak up.

Someone who speaks too low conveys the impression that they are timid, and timidity is not a quality that will land you many jobs, especially jobs which require you to be assertive. In contrast, speaking too loudly will make you sound annoying and obnoxious, a quality which is just as bad as being timid. During the job interview you should speak at a medium volume at all times, not too high but not too low. You will also want to use the name of your interviewer occasionally during the interview, but, like anything else, you don’t want to overdo it. Using the name of your interviewer shows that you’re listening and engaged in the conversation.

The End of the Interview

At the end of the interview, it is very important for you to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity. This is very important, because it conveys a message that you appreciate the time they’ve taken to interview you, as well as the opportunity they are giving you for potential employment. Even after this point, the interview is not over. You will want to send a brief thank you note to the company. Some say you can do this by email but we recommend doing it by old fashioned snail mail. However, since this is business the letter should not be handwritten.

Never, under any circumstances, say anything negative about previous employers during the interview. It is considered disrespectful and impolite to take shots at previous companies, regardless of their behavior. You don’t want to soil the interview with any negativity. Additionally, as the old saying goes, "when you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail." Researching as much as you can about the company prior to the interview can prepare you for the unexpected questions that may arise, and it also gives you the ability to ask them a few questions of your own.

Also, never forget that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Most companies desire confident workers, but arrogance is both annoying and obnoxious. It does you no good to do almost everything during the interview well, only to fail due to conveying an arrogant attitude.