Page 150 - Oscar Adler - Sell Yourself in Any Interview_ Use Proven Sales Techniques to Land Your Dream Job (2008)

SELL YOURSELF IN ANY INTERVIEW

DEALING WITH MEAL INTERVIEWS

As if interviewing weren’t stressful enough, sometimes you
are expected to interview and eat at the same time. Don’t be
fooled into thinking that interviewing over a meal is some-
how more casual or less serious than other forms of inter-
viewing. A meal interview may be scheduled for convenience,
or it may be set up to see how you function as a professional
in social situations. In any case, you need to use all your
skills—as well as your best manners—during an interview
that involves food.
The distractions of the meal, especially in a restaurant,
mean that you must pay even closer attention to your inter-
viewer to determine what is important to him or her. Here are
a few tips for navigating the treacherous waters of a break-
fast, lunch, or dinner interview:

❏ Order a medium-priced meal that is simple to eat (no fin-
ger foods, no messy sauces).
❏ Avoid alcohol.

❏ Use your best listening skills, and maintain eye contact as
much as possible.

❏ Don’t forget to answer questions using features and
benefits.

❏ Convey that you like the restaurant (or food that has been
brought in). Remember, the interviewer made this choice.
❏ Remember that even casual conversations are being used
to evaluate you as a potential employee.

❏ If you have only a shaky grasp of the niceties of eating in
a fancy restaurant, brush up before you go, and when
in doubt, follow the lead of your host.

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