With the holiday seasons a rite of passage to indulge ourselves with plenty of mashed potatoes, pie, stuffing, cranberry sauce and let’s not forget the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey.
But no matter how much we overindulge ourselves, we are inevitably stuck with leftovers for another meal. Or meals. And there is only so much you can do with that bird. Turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey casserole, turkey, turkey surprise… You get the picture.
While turkey may be on the menu for DAYS after your holiday feast, reliving that feast might not be a good idea if you have a job interview. Turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, which SOME scientists believe can make you feel sleepy. Not good when you especially need to be on your “A” game during the interview and drowsiness will drastically affect your mental alertness. Yawning frequently won’t impress the interviewer, either.
Although turkey is one of the most commonly known foods for causing sleepiness, there are many others that you should avoid on interview days to ensure that your eye lids are not getting heavy, or you have stomach issues, at an inopportune time. Enough said.
Prepare your body and mind by eating well before your big meeting. But do it right. Just like an athlete prepares before a game by loading up on the RIGHT foods and hydration, knowing what to eat for peak performance is important. Fueling up with the right foods can help you perform better at your next job interview.
What if you are invited to a breakfast, lunch or dinner interview? The key here is don’t be fooled. It’s easy to confuse the opportunity to relax with a glass of wine and a sumptuous dinner with a genuine job interview. If you are invited for a meal DO NOT assume that because he or she is going to spring for the food that the job is yours. In reality, the interview has just begun and your performance before, during and after the meal can make or break you.
Many a job candidate has failed the dinner interview test because of poor business etiquette and behavior. And although good etiquette won’t necessarily get you the job, bad etiquette could cost you. In addition, there are a few foods to steer clear of and NOT order on a Job Interview.
Speaking of etiquette, not certain which fork is yours, rules of the napkin, when to begin the main course or what is the proper way to pass the bread basket? These meal interview etiquette tips can answer those questions and others.
And last but not least, while you are avoiding turkey before your interview, make sure you also avoid having a resume that’s as dry as left over bird. Anybody who has ever had dry turkey during a holiday dinner knows how bland it can be, and that is exactly how this type of resume reads to employers. It’s not exactly breaking any new ground by saying that having a good resume is key to success in the job search. What might not be so obvious is what actually makes a stellar resume.
