The do's and don't's for job, fellowship or internship interviews

UPDATE: Due to the rapid numbers of newsrooms announcing layoffs since the beginning of 2024, I’m sharing this post again with a few tweaks. I hope you find it helpful.

As a hiring manager in journalism for 30+ years, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to job interviews. I recently interviewed more than two dozen applicants for the fellowship program I co-direct. I saw so many different things?—?good and bad?—?and I wanted to share them with you. My examples are all journalism-facing, but these tips are good in any industry. Here’s my list of do’s and don’t’s for you to review before that next interview.

1. Do be on time for your interview. Journalism functions by meeting deadlines, so it’s not a good look if you’re more than five minutes late. That’s my personal grace period, but not everyone is as generous as I am. Several applicants missed out because when they were either really late or didn’t show up at all. When they asked to reschedule their interview, it was a hard no.
2. Don’t ramble when answering questions. For example, when an interviewer says “Tell me about yourself,” this is not the time to share your entire life story. Instead, talk about what you did on your last job/fellowship/internship, your skills and why you’re the perfect applicant for the job. This shouldn’t take more than a minute or two, tops.
3. Do research your interviewer. Check them out on places including LinkedIn or Muck Rack (for journalists) to know the person you’re speaking with. In the end, interviews are subjective. I’m more likely to respond positively if you went to my alma mater (American University) or worked at a company I previously worked for, such as Delta Air Lines. Ask me why I’m an aviation geek or shout it out if we belong to the same professional journalism organizations.
4. Don’t name-drop. It’s fine that you know so-and-so at <insert prestigious newsroom here>, but constantly naming these people is annoying. I want to hear about you?—?not the people you know.
5. Do dress for the part. I don’t expect applicants to have on a full suit (and a tie for men) during a Zoom call. But what isn’t acceptable are wrinkled t-shirts (especially ones with offensive sayings), tank tops, sports jerseys and athleisure wear. I work from home and always wear a business casual top, earrings and a touch of lipstick?—?with basketball shorts and my Fluff Yeah Ugg slippers out of screen view. No one can see past my shoulders, so I still look professional on the screen.
6. Don’t be an a**hole. The purpose of an interview is to win me over enough to get the job. If you’re sarcastic, roll your eyes at questions, give brief or non-specific answers or constantly try to talk over me, this tells me you would not be fun to have in my newsroom.
7. Do triple-check your resume. Grammar and spelling errors are bad on any resume, but they’re deadly on journalism ones. Why? Your main job as a journalist is to get things right. If you have numerous errors, that makes me question whether your stories will be accurate. Have a journalism professional (not your bestie or your bae) give your resume a final read before you hit that send button. I pay my editor, Denise Clay-Murray, to look at mine and it’s worth every penny.
8. Don’t use the wrong references. You need references who can actually vouch for your work, such as a past employer or college professor. Make sure those references are different. I don’t want to see all your references come from one employer or professor.
9. Do ask good questions at the end of an interview. There are things you’ll want to know, such as the hiring timeline, salary/benefits, the work schedule, the pace of work and more. It doesn’t look good when you don’t have a single question to ask your interviewer.
10. Don’t say “That’s a good question.” Interviewers have been at this for a while. Not to be rude, but we don’t need you to tell us that we’re asking good questions.
11. Do check the links you send. I understand that you work in a newsroom with paywalls. Either send your interviewer a temporary username and password to see your stories or make a PDF of your work. If you send your work via a Google Doc, please make sure it’s unlocked so we can actually see it. I’ve had some strong candidates who missed out because I didn’t have read-only access to their documents.
12. Don’t have a multiple-page resume. I’ve been working for 37+ years and my resume is two pages. There’s no reason for a graduating college student or an early-career journalist or to have a resume that’s more than one page. If you’ve had at least three or four jobs (not internships) under your belt, you can go up to three pages; but two is best.
13. Do share your skills. As an employer, I’m seeking someone to kill a pain point in my organization. Look at the job description carefully and match your skills accordingly?—?and make sure they’re also on your resume. Let an employer know why you’re best for the job/fellowship/internship.
14. Don’t stalk hiring managers. Please don’t flood me with calls and emails on the status of your application. This is a process, and you need to be patient no matter how hard that is. In this case, the squeaky wheel does not get the grease.
15. Do take no for an answer. If I have one job or a set number of slots for internships and fellowships, that means some really great people aren’t going to get that good news call from me. I wish I could hire more of you, but I can’t. However, you calling to ask or demand why you didn’t get the job is not a good look. The simple truth is there were other applicants who were a better fit?—?and it’s not personal. You can ask for feedback, but don’t feel bad if a hiring manager declines your request.
16. Don’t use the same example over and over. When you’re asked a question and you give a work example to illustrate your answer, that’s great. But if you use that same example again and again for different questions, that’s a big no-no.
17. Do show interest during the interview. You would be amazed at how many people just monotoned their way through or seemed bored during interviews with me. I don’t need to see you doing a kicking Rockettes routine, but I do need to see that you are interested in this opportunity and show good energy during the interview.
18. Don’t use doublespeak. Sometimes you draw a blank when you’re asked a question. Instead of serving me a word salad to cover yourself, ask if you can take a few seconds (but don’t let it drag out) to come up with a good answer. We are not fooled by word salad or fluffy prose. If you don’t know the answer, say so and offer to reply to me in an email.
19. Do send a thank-you note after an interview. You can email it or send it by snail mail (a really nice touch). Whatever you choose, it does make you stand out from the crowd. But don’t use a generic thank-you note. Bring up thoughtful points discussed in the interview and express your interest in the job?—?again. When it’s time to make that tough hiring decision, that thank-you note could be the thing that pushes you over the finish line.