Follow these tips to master the face to face job interview

Mastering the job interview will require you to prepare yourself in advance. Not only must you do the right things during the job interview, you must also do the right things "after" the interview. During the job interview, you must be aware of your body language at all times.

Books have been written on the subject of body language, and there are a number of tips that you will want to keep in mind during the job interview process. The first thing to be mindful of is the handshake.

When you meet someone for the first time, especially in the Western part of the world, you will often be greeted with a handshake. The type of handshake you give will give the person shaking your hand their first impression of you.

It goes without saying that you want this impression to be positive, not negative. To give a positive impression, you will want to give a strong handshake.

However, just giving a strong handshake is not enough. When you go to shake someone’s hand, always step in with your left foot, not your right.

Most people step in with their right foot. By stepping in with your left foot, not only can you give the person a good handshake, it will be a dominant handshake, where you force their hand down.

Doing this combined with a firm handshake sends the following message to the other person: I am a strong individual who is confident, aggressive, and successful.

The type of handshake that you will want to avoid is the "fish" handshake. This is a weak handshake where the other person will feel as if they can crush your hand.

The fish handshake is usually given by people who are either weak or those who cannot be trusted.

Avoid this handshake at all costs. As the interview commences, you will want to make sure you do not cross your arms, as this sends across the message that you are defensive.

Do not put anything in your mouth, as this will convey the message of neediness or uncertainty.

If you wear glasses, never allow them to slide down your nose where you look at the other person over the rim. This conveys arrogance and annoyance.

After the Job Interview

Most people pay so much attention to what they do during the interview that they forget to pay attention to what they do after it.

It makes no sense to do everything perfectly during the interview, only to make a mistake which costs you the job after the interview is completed.

To avoid this, you must make sure your post interview moves are just as on point as the moves you make during the job interview.

First, while it is not a good idea to make notes during the job interview, it is a wise idea to write down notes after the job interview.

Once the interview is complete, you will want to send a thank you letter to the person who is interviewing you.

Sending them a thank you letter reminds them of you, and it shows that you are thankful for their time.

Why the Thank You letter is so Important

While a thank you letter is a simple gesture, it is one that many people fail to use. By taking the time to write a simple thank you note, you will automatically allow yourself to stand out from the crowd, and you will tip the odds of getting the job in your favor.

Another thing that you will want to avoid during after the job interview is calling back the potential employer immediately. If you call back too quickly, this makes you look desperate. If they tell you that they will decide in about a week, call them after a week has passed.