How to handle the ‘big interview’

We’ve all gone through pre-interview jitters, whether it’s for a new job or an inside promotion.We’ve all experienced the sweaty palms, the nervousness, and the growling stomach during a lunchtime interview.

But when the java spills on your shirt just before the appointment, well, then you’ve got some problems. Here’s a trick: Head to the nearest grocery store and buy some white vinegar. A little dab will do you. Often, it will help remove the stain. If not, then just come clean and tell the interviewer this: “I thought about canceling but then I realized this meeting isn’t about my shirt.” The employer will appreciate your candidness. Other tricks:

• If you have onion breath and there are no breath mints near (yikes!), take the curved end of a plastic spoon and scrape the stinky breath-bacteria off your tongue. Then drink water. Often bad breath can be reduced, if not eliminated, by drinking a lot of water.

• If you’re sick and you can’t reschedule your interview appointment, make it a point to say why you’re not shaking the employer’s hand (because you don’t want to spread germs). But after that, don’t talk about your cold at all. Just move through the interview, showing that you are steadfast and that a little virus isn’t going to get in the way of a job interview, just as it wouldn’t get in the way of your daily work, if you were to be hired.

• If you’re five minutes late, don’t worry. Often, the interviewer will think the receptionist kept you waiting. But if you feel like your tardiness is going to get in the way of the interview, then call the interviewer and explain that you realize his or her time is valuable. Ask if you can reschedule. Don’t elaborate on the reason you’re running late unless it’s a true emergency (not a traffic jam).

—adapted from Self