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Interviews are nerve-racking enough on there own, but then add a meal to the mix. People’s stress levels sky rocket when you are expected to eat & talk at the same time. Employers often take job candidates out to lunch or dinner to evaluate their social skills and to see if they can handle themselves gracefully under pressure. To ace your meal interview do your homework – research the company, who you are interviewing with, the restaurant where you are interviewing at, and don’t forget your dining etiquette skills. Below are a few tips to keep in mind during your next lunch interview.

Interview Meal Tips:

• Mind your manners & be polite. Remember to say “please” & “thank you”, keep your elbows off the table, sit up straight, and don’t talk with your mouth full.
• Avoid food that is messy or that you have to eat with your hands. It could make an end-of-the-interview handshake quite sloppy.
• Avoid ordering crunchy or loud food. They can prove distracting when others are trying to talk.
• Avoid ordering food that has strong odors. They can be offensive and give you bad breath.
• Avoid alcohol. You need to be sharp during your interview. Wine or beer might lead you to make a sloppy mistake. Plus, interviewing is tough enough without adding alcohol to the mix.
• Do order food that can easily be cut up into bite-size pieces. Take small bites so that you can quickly finish chewing before speaking. Never speak with food in your mouth! You may not have much time to eat if you are being asked a lot of questions; remember that the main point of the meal is to interact and eating is secondary.
• Prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer. This can help you twofold by allowing you to eat some of your lunch as you listen to the answer and simultaneously give you the appearance of being a candidate who has done their homework.

After The Meal:

• Typically in an interview, you are the guest and so the meal is paid for by the company. Your host will most likely pick up the check so you won’t have to deal with it.
• Remember to say “thank you.” Consider also following-up with a thank you note which reiterates your interest in the job.
• Never ask for a doggy bag, this just looks tacky.