SITUATIONS : How to Interview.—When the applicant for a situa tion gets the long-expected letter asking him to call, he is apt to jump to the conclusion that to all intents and purposes he has secured the appointment. Many a promising appointment has been lost in the interview by the candidate neglecting one or two obvious points. It is necessary that the conduct of the man who is seeking employment should be as care fully considered as his letter of application sent from the privacy of his own borne. A high percentage of employers judge entirely by appearances, after taking up references and examining credentials, and very slight things often lead them to a conclusion. The candidate for the appointment, when he gets the highly prized letter asking him to present himself for interview, should remember that he is not appointed, and that he is probably one of a dozen men, and has still only a chance equal to one in twelve of securing the appointment. Some more obvious points neglected by men who present themselves for interview are associated with clothing. A good many men overdress for the purpose, and very often the employer dislikes this tendency to extremity. Other men go to the opposite extreme and appear shabbily clad, neglecting to shave, wearing soiled linen, and the appearance of poverty or slovenliness has an even worse effect on the mind of the man W h o is inter viewing. All things being equal, and as a rule, if amongst twelve candidates the apparent credentials are equal, the final selection must be based largely on appearances. The man who is securing a business appointment would be well advised to present himself neatly, but not obtrusively dressed, paying particular attention to the details of his appearance, to which many employers attach importance. For instance, a carelessly adjusted tie, frayed linen, shabby boots associated with well-kept clothing, neglected hands, unshaven face, all tend to prejudice the position. A man should make the most of his personal appearance all the time he is out for business, and never more so than when he is keeping a preliminary appointment which may lead to a situation. These are very obvious points which any intelli gent man would see for himself, although they are worth mentioning, because they are so frequently neglected.
There are more subtle indications of character which lead the employer to a decision in favour or against any one candidate, and probably his manner of conduct euring the interview is more important than anything else. It is so easy to talk too much end appear loquacious, or to talk too little and appear sulky, both of which are probably due to the effect of nervous excitement. The great consideration should be to aim at answering questions put simply and directly, without allowing oneself to be tempted away to side issues involving unnecessary explanations. It is not necessary
to give the man interviewing you a complete review of your family history, or a summary of your personal opinions and beliefs. lie will probably have made up hi mind as to what he wishes to ask you, and the simpler and more directly your answers are given, the more he will be impressed. Avoid being too clever. The too clever man is a drug in the market. Do not use the personal pronoun "I" too much, and do not talk as if you were the only possible man for that particular appointment. It is a mistake to be too insistent in your inquiries about hours. Do not be too eager to know whether they finish at five or six o'clock, or whether you have to work overtime. Do not press the point of closing time on Saturday, or insist too much on a summary of holidays. These are details which are praty much the same in all businesses, and are best left in the background. Many men lose situations because in such an interview the only subject they are interested in is the question when they are to leave off work. At a first interview it strikes the wrong note to betray any great anxiety on '.;his point, and its obtrusion would almost certainly bring the call to a conclusion unsatisfactory to yourself.
Candidates are very often too abjectly servile, and create a bad impres sion in this way. Business men nowadays do not expect their employees to carry respect to the point of abjectness, and where a man does so, they are apt to consider that lie has no character of his own. A business man will appreciate a candidate who introduces himself respectfully, and then talks clearly with a proper show of respect for his own personality. On the other hand, it might be possible to go to the other extreme and present an air of too much nonchalance or independence. Either extreme is to be strictly avoided.
Amongst minor details it is advisable not to interview with a hand stained by cigarette smoke. Some employers are distinctly prejudiced against the cigarette habit, and indications of its presence which are obtrusive arouse this prejudice. More fatal still is it to interview an employer with breath tainted by alcohol. To-day, very few business men take alcohol during business hours, and the excellent advice of an American humorist, " that reasonable refreshment taints the breath almost as badly as the excessive use of stimulants," is worth noting. A comparative abstainer might think it necessary to take a little temporary stimulant before facing a new and prospective employer, but its detection would put him in the ranks of much worse men.