Interviewing Inadequacies

Job Seeker's Story

Melvin McCreary loved to help people and had a degree in social work, so when he saw the job advertisement for a Weight-Loss Consultant, he thought this was a position in which he could be very successful. In fact, he had a personal interest in weight maintenance and wanted to help all those people who struggled with their weight. Melvin sent in his résumé and was successful in landing an interview.

When the date of his interview arrived, Melvin arrived 30 minutes early with a dozen doughnuts. Carrying in the box, he introduced himself jovially and told the receptionist that he thought it would make a lasting impression on his interviewer. Silently, the receptionist agreed; it was the first time she had seen doughnuts in the facility!

When Melvin met his interviewer, Sheena, he presented her with the doughnuts, stating, “I knew it was early so I wanted to make sure you could get your breakfast.” She took the box and set it on her desk, not bothering to offer him one. Throughout the interview the box sat untouched and Melvin began to have doubts about bringing them.

At the end of the interview, Melvin said, “I know doughnuts are not very dietetic; I thought it would make a nice treat. I am sorry if I insulted you in some way.” Sheena looked at him for a few moments and said, “Not at all. Thank you Melvin.”

Melvin left, not sure how to judge his interview with Sheena. He felt rather sheepish about having brought doughnuts and assumed he had made a bad choice.

Job Seeker's Stumble

Bringing a fattening snack food such as doughnuts to a weight-loss clinic, when you are interviewing for a position as a Weight-Loss Consultant, just lacks common sense. Melvin failed to get a job offer because he demonstrated to the interviewer that he had little understanding of what constituted healthy eating and seemed to lack sensitivity to the struggles of those who had weight problems. Thinking a sweet treat (in this case, a dozen doughnuts) for a face-to-face interview was appropriate left Melvin out of a job opportunity.

Job Seeker's New Strategy

It is never a good idea to bring food to an interview, because it simply opens up too many possibilities of making a bad impression. You do not know if the interviewer is a diabetic, has food allergies, or just will think you are a messy eater! Instead, view the interview as a professional meeting where you need to make a positive impression. Food does not come into that equation.

If you still want to bring something to the interview, think about what will enhance your opportunity for the particular job. For instance:

• • As a Weight-Loss Consultant you might put together sample meal plans that demonstrate your knowledge of healthy, balanced eating. You might also bring motivational materials or a counseling plan you have used in former social worker roles to show the interviewer.
• • As a Sales Professional, you might have a brag book showing sales awards, charts that demonstrate quota attainment, follow-up tools and materials used with clients, or other benchmarks of performance.
• • As an Artist, you might bring a portfolio of samples of work.
• • As an Engineer, you might have a mock-up of a project or other physical examples of your work on CD, DVD, scale model, or in another visual media.

It is easy to make an interview more visual and more tangible without tangling with inappropriate (and frequently messy) food. Remember to always focus on professionalism and the type of position you are targeting.