Originally published in Student Lawyer magazine (American Bar Association Law Student Division), Vol. 30, No. 4 (December 2001)

Jobs

BY DONNA GERSON

Your manners are as important as your skills and experience

Dan, a 2L and law review staff member, received a call-back interview with a large firm. He arrived 20 minutes late for his interview, apologizing profusely for traffic jams and parking woes. Bottom line: no offer.

Jane, a 3L awaiting her initial interview with the hiring partner of a mid-sized firm, treated the receptionist brusquely. When the receptionist tried to engage Jane in conversation, she muttered one-word responses and avoided eye contact. Result: no offer. Despite good credentials, neither Dan nor Jane received job offers, because they failed to mind their manners. In a nutshell, minding your manners means thinking of others and being a considerate human being.

Lawyers seek good manners in their employees. Why? In a service-based profession that thrives on personal relationships and involves interaction with individuals of varying degrees of wealth, social standing, and knowledge, a lawyer must be able to behave politely under a variety of circumstances. Common courtesy (as well as common sense) will increase your chances of getting the job you want. Here are some etiquette tips to help you impress employers:

Return phone and e-mail messages within 24 hours. No matter how busy you are balancing classes, activities, interviews, and life beyond law school, you must return messages from employers within 24 hours (and even sooner, if possible; once you're in practice, many clients expect to receive a response within an hour or two, at most). Check your voice mail and e-mail several times each day, particularly when you are "in play" with employers. Prompt replies indicate to employers that you're interested in the job and responsible enough to respond in a timely manner. You foster a bad impression when a hiring partner needs to call the career services office to track you down because you haven't promptly responded to voice mail, e-mail, or letters.

Record the time and place of your interview and arrive early. Whether you use a hand-held computer or an old-fashioned pocket calendar, make sure you record when and where you're supposed to be for your interview. Don't be shy about asking for directions, public transportation, or parking options in the area. If you're unfamiliar with the area and have time, make a dry run to estimate travel time and parking logistics. Plan to arrive at least 10 minutes early (more, if possible), so you have time to catch your breath, get your bearings, and make a calm entrance.

Dress appropriately. Proper dress is a sign of good manners. Learn in advance whether the firm's dress code is business casual or traditional attire, and dress accordingly. If you're invited to a social event such as a wine and cheese reception and are uncertain about dress code, contact the recruiting coordinator for advice.

Be polite to everyone you meet. Receptionists, recruiting coordinators, and administrative assistants all can affect your chances of getting a job offer. So, the moment you walk off the elevator and into the office, you need to be on your best behavior. Walk in, smile pleasantly, and announce yourself clearly to the receptionist: "Hi, I'm Donna Gerson and I have an appointment with Laura Hoffman at 11:00." The receptionist probably will ask you to sit down in the reception area and wait. If the receptionist engages you in conversation, by all means talk to him or her. A little pleasant banter is perfectly appropriate. Further, the receptionist is someone you might see every day if you're hired, so make a friendly impression now.

Handshakes. Regardless of gender, the proper business greeting is a handshake. If you're carrying a purse, briefcase, portfolio, or folder, make sure your right hand is free to shake hands with interviewers. Practice a good, firm handshake, and make eye contact. No finger shakers or bone crushers.

Eating and drinking. The interview lunch or dinner is, perhaps, the most dreaded event of the entire day for novice interviewees. Aside from selecting menu items and making sure cutlery is properly used, you need to remember that meals are part of the interview process, and polite behavior still applies. Avoid messy foods that can splatter, such as spaghetti. Avoid trying new foods or foods that require a great deal of fussing, such as lobster. Don't indulge in alcoholic beverages, because you need to stay alert. Some informative etiquette books include Miss Manners' Basic Training: Eating, by Judith Martin, or The Etiquette Advantage in Business: Personal Skills for Professional Success, by Peggy Post and Peter Post.

Conversation. While most conversation during an interview ought to be focused on your qualifications and the employer's needs, talk will extend to other areas such as hobbies, sports, classes, and other nonjob topics. Keep conversation polite; this means avoiding politics (unless you're absolutely sure your conversation partner sees eye to eye with you), off-color jokes, or anything controversial. Try to be friendly, but not too familiar, because you really don't know your hosts all that well.

Express thanks. Cultivate the habit of mailing a thank you letter within 24 hours of an interview, regardless of whether it's a screening or a call-back interview. After all, the employer didn't have to interview you and probably had more pressing work to do that day. A short letter expressing your thanks for taking the interviewer's time is the epitome of good manners. Example: "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about (the firm's name here). I enjoyed learning about your firm's practice areas and would be grateful for the opportunity to work as a summer associate." I recommend typing thank you letters just as you would other business correspondence. Handwriting cards can be tricky because your penmanship (alas, another hallmark of civilized society that has fallen by the wayside) may be unreadable, and your choice of greeting card may be unsuitable for the business world. E-mail is OK, depending on an employer's tech savvy, but avoid faxing thank you letters because it smacks of last-minute planning.

Tip: If you're going on several out-of- town interviews and know you're pressed for time, pre-address and stamp your envelopes. This leaves only the tasks of typing, proofreading, and mailing your thank you letters.

Emergency situations. Despite your best efforts to be polite and think of others, you'll encounter emergency situations. For example, should you awaken on the morning of your interview with a fever, you should cancel your appointment promptly. Not only will you make a lousy impression if you're deathly ill, but it's also impolite to infect others. Call promptly to schedule another date, keeping in mind that recruiting schedules can be very crowded and you may have to wait several weeks for another interview opportunity.

If you inadvertently spill food or mistakenly commandeer someone else's bread plate at the interview lunch, don't call attention to yourself. Smile, apologize, and proceed. Remember that dark clothes hide a multitude of sins (that extra 10 pounds as well as the stray salsa). If you slosh food on your tie (or think this is a possibility), consider bringing a spare in your briefcase, just in case. If you arrive late for your interview, be contrite but realize that tardiness is one of the seven deadly sins of interviewing. The others are poor communication skills, lack of sense of humor, no eye contact, poor posture, bad grooming, and nervous tics.

If you don't send a thank you letter promptly, don't send one at all. A thank you letter that arrives two weeks after your interview will only call attention to your lack of good manners.

By exercising your etiquette muscles, you'll impress interviewers. Bottom line: You'll increase the probability of getting an offer.

Donna Gerson (gerson@law.pitt.edu) is a freelance writer who covers legal career issues.