Job-Hunting Etiquette and Job-Seeking Tips and Techniques

Success is within your grasp.

Professional etiquette isn’t just about dress codes and business cards—it’s about getting ahead. Regardless of your specific industry or career, you can navigate any on-the-job situation with confidence by learning to:

Handle office politics and deal with difficult coworkers
Thrive in any business setting, from interviews to dinners to meetings
Do business like a local, whether you’re in Shanghai or São Paulo

Good etiquette during a job search won’t guarantee that you’ll be hired for a job, but it’ll definitely help make sure your qualifications shine as brightly as possible. Bad etiquette, on the other hand, will ensure that your prospective employer won’t pay attention to your qualifications at all.

Table of Contents

Cover Letters and Résumés

Your cover letter and résumé are your first chance to make an impression on a prospective employer. Investing the time required to make these documents flawless shows an employer that you respect both yourself and the position for which you’re applying.

Cover Letter Etiquette

Know your audience: Research the company and tailor your letter to it. Make every letter unique.
Follow instructions: If you’re responding to an ad, provide exactly what’s requested. If an online ad requests no attachments, for instance, don’t send any.
Use a formal tone: Make sure you come across as thoughtful, responsible, and employable.
Use a traditional font and paper: Use a classic font, such as Times, on white or off-white 8.5″×11″ paper.
Keep it short: Your goal should be to make it easy for a prospective employer to read your cover letter. If you make it too long, employers might not read it all.
Avoid personal information: Unless one of your hobbies relates to the job, don’t mention your private life, political views, or religion.
Proofread: Proofread and spell-check your letter, then have someone else read it again.

Résumé Etiquette

Be accurate: Each detail in your résumé must be factual. Potential employers may check up on you.
Keep it brief: Your résumé should fit on one page unless you have extensive work experience, in which case it can be two pages at most.
List skills, not just positions: Skills are as important as job titles. Describe your skills and accomplishments as specifically as possible, using strong, active verbs.
Don’t forget the basics: Include your name, address, phone number, and email address.
Show restraint: Don’t include information about your educational credentials (GPA, test scores, etc.) unless you’ve graduated in the past five years. Photos and detailed personal information are also unnecessary.
Proofread: Grammatical or formatting mistakes on your résumé make you look careless.

Interviews

Following proper etiquette at job interviews makes you seem professional. It also helps convey your thoroughness, conscientiousness, and ability to work with others.

Top 10 Interview Etiquette Tips

Study: Bone up on the company before your interview. Review your résumé and be prepared to talk about every item on it.
Be prepared: Bring a pen, a notepad, and additional copies of your résumé.
Arrive early: Do whatever it takes to arrive at your interview five minutes early. Never arrive late.
Look professional: Dress neatly and conservatively (see Business Dress). Turn off your cell phone, and don’t chew gum, eat, or drink.
Be polite to everyone: Don’t save your charm for the interviewer—be courteous to everyone you encounter.
Show deference: Don’t sit down until you’ve been offered a seat.
Listen carefully: Pay careful attention to your interviewer’s questions and maintain eye contact. Answer straightforwardly and succinctly.
Follow up: If you don’t know an answer, be honest but promise to find out. Then do the necessary research and follow up with an answer after the interview.
Ask questions: Asking questions at the end of your interview gives you a chance to show off your smarts as well as your listening skills. Ask about the company or your job duties, but don’t ask about salary, benefits, or any information published on the company website.
Say thank you: At the end of the interview, shake hands with the interviewer and thank him or her. Mail or email a thank-you note within 24 hours.

Respecting Your Coworkers

Your house may be your castle, but your workplace isn’t. Your office is shared space, and you should treat it as such. Show respect for your coworkers in the following ways:

Try to mesh with the company culture: When you arrive at a new company, observe the patterns of office life and adapt to them.
Value diversity: Be sensitive to differences. Never tease or mock anyone.
Respect privacy: Unless someone offers information about their personal life, don’t discuss it. Avoid asking about a coworker’s age, relationship status, sexual orientation, politics, religion, or health.
Watch the volume: Keep your voice down. If you listen to music or must use a speakerphone, make sure the noise doesn’t bother anyone else.
Pick up after yourself: Leave common spaces, from conference rooms to kitchens, as neat as you found them. Don’t bring smelly foods into the office.
Less is more: When it comes to personalizing your workspace, a few subtle details (a framed photograph of your family, a small plant) go a long way. Avoid personalizing in a way that might offend others.
Close the door: If you have an office, shut the door when you have visitors, when you’re having a confidential conversation, and when you really need to concentrate.
Honor the cubicle: Treat cubicles like the private offices of your coworkers. Give them the courtesy and privacy they deserve.