Congratulations, you have just been extended an opportunity to interview in person with the Hiring Manager of that great company you are interested in!
Did you hear correctly that their office is currently under construction and the Manager wants to meet you at that busy coffee house in downtown?
Not to worry, with the recent trend of many staff working remote or in temporary office spaces, having an in-person meeting at a busy neutral location has become more common and should not discourage you.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind during an off site interview:
Visit the Location Prior
If you have never been to the location and have at least one day prior to the interview, stop by and get a lay of the land and feeling for the environment. This can give you a chance to scope out a possible meeting location, how difficult parking could be, what type of noise level you will have to deal with, etc.
Arrive Early on the Day of the Interview
Not only is it positive to show up early, it can allow you to snag that perfect corner location in the back of the room that you discovered the day before so you will not have to deal with customers passing by you on a constant basis.
Eat Something Simple
While I do not recommend ordering anything more than a drink during an interview, I have heard of some cases where the Manager will let the candidate know up front that this should be a lunch meeting and they might be expecting to eat. If this is the case, try to keep it simple and order something with a low probability of dripping over yourself (please no pasta) or something that could be extra spicy or cause an irritation of any kind.
Focus on Eye Contact
If you are unable to get the coveted corner seating location and find yourself in an area with constant foot traffic, it is important to make it a point to focus on eye contact with the Hiring Manager and do your best to not look away and find yourself staring and the ridiculous outfit that another patron might have on. Allowing yourself be become distracted with the environment can lead you to loosing your train of throughout and the Manager to worry about your ability to stay focused when faced with distractions.
While interviews in public settings can be very distracting that are also an outstanding opportunity to highlight some of your soft skills and show your ability to remain calm and display poise in a challenging and demanding environment.
Remember to remain confident and also realize that the Hiring Manager is loosing their “home field advantage” by interviewing outside of their office and this could cause them to be more vulnerable than if their were meeting with you in their corporate headquarters setting. Hopefully this will lead to a more relaxed conversation and allow you to showcase your soft skills to make a memorable impression on them.
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