This article was originally written by Maja Stojanovic and was published on Big Interview.

Let’s face it: job interviews can feel like a high-stakes episode of “Survivor,” and without understanding interview etiquette, highly qualified students are getting voted off the island way too soon.
From forgetting to remove their laundry from the background on video calls to making the radical decision to bring their parents along, students often think they’re doing the right thing.
Unfortunately, most students make job-costing mistakes in their first interviews. And it’s nothing to do with you—you’re simply not aware of the unspoken rules of the game.
This article breaks down these rules, showing how small bloopers can send big signals to employers. With our guidance, you’ll be ready to ace interviews, leave a professional impression, and, unlike my old undergrad self, vastly improve your job prospects.
You’ll learn:
- How to prepare for an interview and research the company
- How to dress properly
- How to leave a great first impression with your communication and body language skills
- How to behave during the interview
- How to follow up after the interview
- What to do if you’re in for an online job interview
Job Interview Etiquette Checklist

9 Basic Interview Etiquette Rules Explained
1. Come prepared
Coming into a job interview unprepared is like going on a road trip without GPS or Google Maps — you might make some interesting turns, but you probably won’t end up where you want to be.
Here’s what might happen:
- You’ll be nervous
- You’ll stutter a lot
- You won’t have proper answers to common questions
- You won’t know what skills to highlight.
So not only will you not look like the right fit for the position, you’ll come across as careless because you didn’t bother doing the basic research beforehand.
Here’s how to prevent this.
Research the company
Research its website, social media, Glassdoor profile, employees’ LinkedIn profiles, and anything else that would help you understand the company’s mission, values, and culture.
Know their products, services, and recent news, projects, or community initiatives. These are nice topics for a more meaningful conversation during the interview. Plus, you’ll get the inspo to ask smart interview questions and gain additional insights about the company.
Understand the job description
Analyze the job description to pinpoint key requirements and skills needed for a position.
A lot of the ads list the skills explicitly; but if not, carefully go through the duties and you’ll be able to infer what kind of skills are needed for the role.
Then think about your experiences, internships, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, or hobbies where you displayed these skills and prepare specific examples that demonstrate them. This way, you’ll prove, not just tell that you have a certain skill. And it’ll be easier to show them you’re a fit for the role.
Practice common interview questions
There are several common interview questions you’ll hear during any interview:
- Tell me about yourself
- Why do you want to work here
- What accomplishments are you most proud of
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years
- What is your greatest weakness?
They’re regularly asked for a reason and all of them seek to uncover things about you. Refer to the guides we linked above to discover how to answer.
And in the case of behavioral interview questions, rehearse the answers using the STAR method.
2. Dress to impress
Match the company culture
Choose an outfit that’s one formality level above the company’s dress code. It’s better to be on the safe side and be overdressed than underdressed.
For example, if you’re applying for a job in a startup, it’s more than likely that the dress code will be casual. Still, you don’t want to wear your baggy pants and a T-shirt. Nice trousers with a well-fitted, button-down shirt and clean sneakers or loafers would be a safe choice.
For big corporations, use a business professional dress code. This would mean a suit or a professional dress with conservative colors and patterns.
Look presentable
A golden rule: If it didn’t fit with your high school dress code, it won’t work for an interview.
Tips to help you determine if your outfit is appropriate:
- Dresses or skirts must be finger length minimum.
- Stick to neutral colors and no flashy accessories (think old money aesthetic but professional).
- All clothes should fit as close to perfectly as possible. If your suit is a little too baggy or tight, it could make it seem like you can’t put yourself together.
- Make sure your hair and nails are clean and neat.
- Ensure your clothes have been freshly washed and are ironed or steamed if they are wrinkle-prone.
3. Make a great first impression
Be polite
Greet everyone with a smile and a firm handshake. Keep eye contact when greeting people and speaking to them.
When speaking over video, introduce yourself professionally (e.g., “Hello, I’m [Name], pleased to meet you”). Don’t wait for them to ask you — be friendly and proactive.
Arrive on time
This means at least 15 minutes before your in-person interview or several minutes before the online interview. This will allow you to settle, get accustomed to your surroundings, and have a minute or two for deep breathing to calm you down.
4. Initiate an engaging conversation and create an inviting atmosphere
Display positive body language and stop nervous habits
You can have all the perfect answers, but if you don’t look your interviewer in the eye while speaking or if your arms are crossed — it means nothing because you’ll look disinterested or careless.
A few tips for you:
- Maintain eye contact with your interviewer without staring. Aim to look them in the eye 80% of the time and keep things natural, as you would when speaking to a friend.
- Sit up straight with both feet on the floor and don’t cross your arms. You’ll want to look open and inviting to the person sitting on the other side of the table.
- Avoid nervous habits like fidgeting, tapping your feet, clicking your pen, and picking your nails. Taking deep breaths will slow down your heart rate and help you feel more grounded, calm, and present — and you’ll be able to stop the nervous habit easily.
Be professional
Be attentive and respectful, present and engaged. Smile when there’s a joke or when a positive thing is being discussed.
Be an active listener. Nod, when appropriate, to show them you’re following the story. Make affirming sounds, bring up relevant details or stories, and don’t interrupt your interviewer. You know what they say, listen to understand a person, don’t just wait for your turn to speak.
5. Communicate clearly
Be clear and concise in your answers
Speak at a steady pace.
Don’t make the mistake of rushing and speaking too fast, thinking you’re taking up time. It’ll make you look and feel more nervous. Instead, speak at a steady pace and make pauses. This will make them listen to you carefully, and you’ll sound like a confident and competent candidate.
Another important thing to remember: answer interview questions directly and provide only the essential information and details.
Don’t answer with a single short sentence and don’t monopolize the time with lengthy monologues.
Ask smart questions
Prepare open-ended, thoughtful questions about the company and role.
Don’t ask about things that can easily be checked online — come up with unique questions that will give you insight into the company and its culture. You’ll get the chance to ask these questions towards the end of an interview when all the other details have been discussed.
Don’t ask about salary or benefits during the first interview. Interviewers will probably bring up these questions themselves. If they don’t, you can ask them from the second interview onwards.
6. Take care of your tech (if it’s a video interview)
Choose a proper setting
Choose a neutral, clutter-free background, like a plain wall or a neatly organized room. Remove items like towels or other unprofessional objects in the background. You can also blur your background, as Zoom, Meets, and other similar platforms have this option.
If you’re sitting in front of a wall, dress appropriately. Wearing a white shirt against the white wall probably won’t look best. Neither will stripes or bold patterns.
Do the tech check
Test your internet connection to make sure it’s stable. Check the video conferencing platform (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet…) to ensure it’s working properly for you.
Make sure your headphones and microphone are working, and your video is nice and clean.
Minimize distractions
Pick a quiet, well-lit room for the interview.
It will make you look more professional; but more importantly, both you and the interviewer will be able to focus on the conversation if your surroundings are quiet.
✅ Pro tip: Try noise-cancelling headphones, as some of them can help you block out the background noise. You can also use them during studying sessions, when traveling, or working in noisy environments. Or, you can try noise-canceling extensions like Krisp — it’s easy to install and has a free plan in which you can get 60 minutes of noise-free audio streams per day.
7. Close the interview properly
Your interviewers will probably close the interview.
But before you leave, grab the chance to thank them for their time and ask about the next steps in the process (if they haven’t told you). Then, quickly and professionally express your enthusiasm for the role and state why you’d like to join the company.
It can be as simple as:
“Before we leave, I just want to take a second to thank you for your time. It’s been a pleasure talking about [The Company] with you and I’d love to be a part of the team and contribute to the company’s success.”
8. Send thank-you notes
This is a quick win because it’s super easy and not a lot of candidates do it. Within 24 hours after the interview, send a thank-you email.
A few tips:
- Send it to each interviewer separately.
- Personalize it by mentioning a specific thing you spoke about during the interview.
- Restate your interest in the role and the company.
- Be direct and brief.
Here’s a template you can use:
Subject line: Thank you for your time, [Interviewer name]!
Dear [Interviewer name],
Thank you for your time today. It was a pleasure talking to you about [Company name]. It was interesting to learn about [a particular detail you spoke about during the call].
Considering [your qualifications, preferences, skills, or similar], I’m confident I could [describe how you can fit in with the company].
If you need any additional information, I would be happy to meet with you again, in-person or online.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best,
[Your name]
[Your email address and phone number]
9. Follow-up professionally
If your interviewers told you they’d get in touch with you within a certain timeframe, but you don’t hear from them, it’s perfectly fine to get in touch and basically ask them what’s up.
Don’t worry, it’s not pushy. It’s proactive, and the right company will appreciate your eagerness.
Here’s a template you can steal:
Dear [Interviewer name],
I hope you’re doing well.
I’m checking in to ask about the [position name] position status. I remember that you mentioned the deadline for reaching a decision would be [date]. I’m still interested in the position and I’m looking forward to your update.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Warm regards,
[Your name]