Lunchtime interviews give you the opportunity to introduce yourself to the potential employer in a less formal context and put your social skills into action. However, these encounters can put a strain on your nerves, especially if it's your first experience. This article will give you some good advice on how to prepare for and successfully overcome it. Read on to learn more.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare for a Lunchtime Interview
Step 1. First, understand the motivation behind these interviews
Employers often take candidates out for lunch or dinner, especially when it comes to professions that require interactions with the public.
- Thanks to these interviews, the employer has the opportunity to consider the interpersonal skills of the candidate, in order to assess how he interacts with people in an informal environment and understand how he behaves under pressure.
- These interviews can require more complex preparation than normal interviews, as you have to deal with the practical act of ordering food and eating as well as answering questions and making conversation. However, there are some dos and other things to avoid that you need to keep in mind.
Step 2. Dress formally
For a lunchtime interview, you should choose the same clothing you would wear for another lunchtime meeting, so get them formal. This tip applies regardless of the place or restaurant you meet.
- The clothes you wear for the interview should be fresh and ironed. Wash your hair and clean your nails. If you are a woman, don't go overboard with your makeup.
- Don't worry if the interviewer is dressed more casually. Remember that when you have to go to an interview, it is better to be more elegant than necessary than to look scruffy.
Step 3. Read the menu in advance
If you know the name of the restaurant where the interview will be held, try to have a look at the dishes served for lunch before you go there. This will allow you to get an idea of the type of food they serve and the price range. Ordering will be less stressful and more immediate on the big day.
Step 4. Bring a copy of the resume, a diary, and a pen with you
Print an updated version of your CV and pack a diary, pen and other necessary documents in your bag. The interviewer may not ask for them during the interview, but it's best to be prepared anyway.
Step 5. On the day of the interview, read the newspaper
Lunchtime interviews usually involve more self-talk and conversation than normal ones, so it's important to be informed about current events and with some interesting stories to pull off at the right time. The best way to get ready is to read the newspaper.
- Read a newspaper distributed on a large scale, perhaps national, avoid the local one and forget the magazines that focus on gossip. Pay particular attention to the articles or sections relevant to the job, whether it is in the financial, economic, political or related to international relations sectors.
- You should also listen to or watch the news the night before or the morning of the interview. You don't want to feel embarrassed because you are unaware of the most recent important facts.
Step 6. Plan the route you will take to get to the restaurant so you will be on time
Before the interview, carefully inform yourself about the route that will be useful for you to go to the meeting point, calculating the necessary time. Knowing the path will allow you to arrive early, which always helps to make a good impression.
- Remember to also consider traffic conditions or public transport timetables.
- If you arrive before the interviewer, wait for him in the waiting room, at the entrance or outside, not at the table.
Part 2 of 3: Ordering Food and Eating
Step 1. Don't order hard-to-eat or breath-heavy foods
It is important to choose carefully when interviewing. You don't want to find yourself messing around or having bad breath; if you get dirty and make unpleasant noises, the interviewer will not have a positive impression.
- Avoid foods that contain large amounts of garlic or onion, as they often have a very strong odor. Forget the hard-to-eat ones, like spaghetti, burgers and sandwiches full of toppings, salads made with large lettuce leaves, oily fries, and foods that are crunchy and make too much noise when chewed.
- Instead, choose foods that you can eat easily and neatly, with discreet bites, such as a salad made up of small ingredients, a dish made with short pasta or fish.
Step 2. Don't order the more expensive items on the menu, such as steak or lobster (unless the interviewer insists):
you might give the idea of taking advantage of the company's credit card, which will not result in making a good impression.
- Either way, that doesn't even mean you have to order the cheapest dish. You should feel free to choose the one you prefer (reasonably) and demonstrate to the prospective employer that you feel safe and comfortable in such a context.
- You should refrain from ordering dessert, unless the interviewer does it first.
Step 3. Forget the alcoholic beverages
In general, it is best to steer clear of this type of drink during a lunchtime interview, even if the interviewer does drink. Alcohol may uninhibit you and cause you to speak in a less professional way. This doesn't mean limiting yourself to water: you can opt for a fizzy drink or iced tea.
Step 4. Try to have good table manners
It is vital that you behave politely throughout the interview. If you appear to be rude, the employer will think twice before giving you a chance, because this makes them understand that you are unable to take an appropriate attitude in a professional context.
- Recover the classic good manners; remember to put the napkin on your legs, do not rest your elbows on the table, chew with your mouth closed and do not speak while you eat.
- To find out more, read a book on etiquette.
Step 5. Try to eat at the same speed as the interviewer
Try to follow his rhythm: avoid eating too slowly or quickly. This can be difficult, as you will likely talk a lot and answer various questions during lunch.
- Don't keep the interviewer waiting when he asks you a question by chewing quickly and swallowing a huge mouthful. It is preferable to take small bites of food, so that you can eat quickly and easily.
- If the interviewer asks you a complicated or important question, you may want to put the fork and knife aside for a couple of minutes and take the time to answer.
Part 3 of 3: Making a Good Impression
Step 1. Try to have an interesting conversation
Interviews are a good opportunity to learn more about the employer, and at the same time allow them to understand that you are the perfect candidate. One of the best ways to do this is to get carried away by a stimulating and anything but boring chat, so you can show off your intelligence, depth of analysis and listening skills.
- If possible, avoid talking about controversial topics. Either way, sometimes the interviewer intentionally raises uncomfortable questions just to see how you react. In this situation, be sure to think before you speak, so that you express your point clearly without sounding like a moralist.
- Use facts and figures to support your ideas as much as possible and avoid arguing with the interviewer. Make sure you ask him what he thinks about a topic and listen carefully to the answer.
Step 2. Behave as professionally as possible throughout the interview
Be especially careful when facing an overly friendly interviewer. Regardless of its informality, you should still strive to behave professionally. Don't be fooled by his liking - he'll still examine your behavior, so don't say or do anything risky.
Step 3. Be polite towards the waiters
As stated earlier, the interviewer will always keep an eye on you to observe your interpersonal skills, and that includes interactions with the restaurant staff. Therefore it is important to be courteous to everyone.
- Whenever you order, they bring you food and drop by to pick up the plates, just say thank you, nod or smile at the waiter - this is ideal for showing that you are polite and have good interpersonal skills. Being obnoxious towards staff is one of the worst mistakes you can make in an interview like this.
- However much you need the wrong dish or don't like what you ordered, try to go with the flow. Don't be hard on the staff - instead, politely explain the mistake and ask for another dish.
Step 4. Follow the interviewer's guidance
In the course of your conversation, pay attention to see if she intends to continue talking after lunch or if she prefers to end the meeting immediately after leaving the restaurant.
When the interviewer asks if you have any questions, take advantage of this moment to close the meeting. However, if he prefers to keep chatting over a cup of tea or coffee, you need to be enthusiastic and follow him
Step 5. After lunch, send a thank you note
Remember to write a letter to the interviewer after the interview, thanking him for his time and for the invitation. It is usually possible to do this by e-mail, in the 48 hours following the end of the meeting.
