Job interview over lunch: how to handle?

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Lunch interviews are becoming increasingly common in many professional areas. While a regular job interview requires a certain set of skills, a lunch interview can be especially tricky. If you’re facing one, however, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of making it to this job interview.

To begin with, obey all the rules of a regular job interview. Dress appropriately, show up on time, and carry all required documents in a wallet that’s easy to stash in case the prospective employer wants to wait until after dessert to take a look. Being late for a job interview is always a no-no, but being late for a lunch interview is especially damaging. Usually people have lunch interviews because they don’t have time to meet you in their office; if you’re late, you’re seriously reducing your chances of getting the job.

A job interview held over lunch gives you a chance to show off your table manners. If you can’t remember where the napkin goes or which fork to use, practice before the job interview. If you smoke, avoid temptation, even if the restaurant allows it. Keep your elbows off the table, turn off your cell phone, and don’t order anything too messy to eat, like fried chicken or spaghetti.

When it comes to ordering during a job interview, always let others be your guide. Ask for something in the same price range and skip the booze if no one else has it. If you are forced to order first, stick to the mineral water and don’t select anything too expensive. Always try to understand what the other person is doing and try to mirror that. Are you ordering dessert? Join him. Does he eat slowly and talk between bites? Do the same.

Remember to be polite to those around you. The way you talk to the waiter says a lot about you and can mean a world of difference to the person across the table. At the end of the job interview, remember to send a thank-you note.

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