Interview tips for college grads

Your first job interview can be intimidating, particularly for someone with little or no work experience. Business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter says it's important to prepare for the interview, present yourself as confident and reflect on your performance afterward. Here are her tips for handling yourself before, during and after the interview.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

Be prepared to tell your story: Prepare discussion points that exemplify your best qualities. You might be thin on work experience, so examples of leadership in the classroom or on sports teams can work. ''For young people, it's difficult to realize that many of these situations can be used to demonstrate their credibility,'' Pachter said.

Read a book: If you're low on management experience, reading books by business leaders can help you prepare for questions about leadership. Drawing from books can help you augment your answers. But use this technique sparingly. ''Sometimes young people don't have a lot of the stories of their lives, so what are they going to talk about?'' Pachter asks. ''You can say I don't have experience with this, but I'm really a fan of Jack Kennedy and I've read all his books.'' Then give an example of his great leadership.

Practice for the interview: Get a friend or family member to play the role of the interviewer to help you refine your answers. Having someone to talk out questions about leadership and decision making is better than going over them in your head. It shows you where you stumble and use ''like'' and ''um.'' ''You need to say it out loud because you have to hear how it works,'' Pachter says. ''And when you role play with someone you get the interaction. If I'm role-playing with you, you can say 'Tell me more.'''

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Shake hands twice: Recent graduates should shake hands at the beginning and end of the interview with everyone involved. Look each person in the eye and grip firmly without squeezing too hard. ''We make assumptions about people based on the quality of their handshake,'' Pachter says. ''If you come in and shake hands and look a person in the eye, you look comfortable and confident.''

Don't slouch: Be confident and enthusiastic. Ask the interviewer questions about the job to show your interest. Sit up straight, look the interviewer in the eye, smile and avoid nervous gestures like twirling your hair. ''Your resume gets you the interview,'' Pachter says. ''How you handle yourself in the interview gets you the job.''

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Send thank-you notes: Some employers won't consider a prospective employee unless he or she follows up the interview with a note. Write to each of the people involved in your interview. Pachter says it's an important part of presenting yourself as a conscientious person who has professional skills. And e-mails don't count. ''It's showing yourself as a polished professional,” Pachter says. “Who would you hire? Someone who showed up on time, shook hands properly and sent a thank-you note? Or someone who didn't?''

Review your performance: You can learn a lot from each interview. In fact, it doesn't hurt to interview for jobs that you're not interested in. The practice helps and you might put yourself in a position to get a different job at the company. After each interview, think about what went right and what went wrong. Remember specific questions for future role-playing. ''The more you interview, the more comfortable you are,'' Pachter says.