<p>so I had an interview at a coffee shop, and when the interviewer showed up, she was like, i'm gonna grab an ice tea, would you like anything? I guess naturally you would say yes i want blahblah, but question is, how do you handle who pays?</p>
<p>would you say, yes, I'd like a coke, why don't i pay for us? or something like that. </p>
<p>at my interview, i just kinda sat there while she paid for everything, so i felt REALLY stupid.</p>
<p>That's a tough question. I would have kindly turned down the offer.</p>
<p>I always show up really early before they get there so I can get my drink alone and not have to worry about that</p>
<p>"I always show up really early before they get there so I can get my drink alone and not have to worry about that"</p>
<p>Same.</p>
<p>If I didn't do that, I would probably politely decline. If the interview were at a diner or restaurant, however, you should never decline an offer of food. Sitting there watching the interviewer eat would look silly.</p>
<p>pay for your own. If you really want something to drink say "actually, I would, but I brought some money to pay for it"</p>
<p>if not, just say "oh no, i'm fine, thank you"</p>
<p>
[quote]
at my interview, i just kinda sat there while she paid for everything, so i felt REALLY stupid.
[/quote]
When you send a note after the interview, don't forget to also thank her for the drink!</p>
<p>In the future, offer to pay for your own. If the interviewer insists, accept graciously, say thank you, and and mention it again in the follow-up note.</p>
<p>I'm an alumni interviewer. I always offer to pay, so the student won't be left wondering. If the interviewer doesn't offer to pay, you could just offer or ask "how much do I owe you?"</p>
<p>Just politely ask before the interview begins. I think the safest route is to 'go Dutch', meaning each pays for his/her own. It's perfectly acceptable for acquaintances, and it gets the question out of the way quickly. Also, you could just offer to pay yourself if your interviewer doesn't say anything; giving your interviewer the chance to decline. Otherwise, just do what Baystate says. Any of these are perfectly polite for something that really isn't a big deal.</p>
<p>At one interview, my son's interviewer was alread there with a bottle of water. At another, he paid for his own drink. At another the interviewer was in line when he got there, but left the line and they sat down with nothing and conducted the interview (this was at 6 pm, so neither one of them really wanted a drink). Agree with those who say to offer to pay for your own. The interviewer is kind enough to take the time for the interview and you should not expect them to pay. But if they do insist, do not continue to say that you will pay, just accept it and thank them.</p>
<p>Buy a drink before you even look for your interviewer, it completely eliminates the problem and gets the interview started more smoothly.</p>
<p>Bring enough money to pay for the drink but if they offer, don't decline. Alumni interviewers typically will offer -- I know if I were an alumni interviewer I would, since drinks can't be more than $5 and it makes the student feel at ease.</p>
<p>At my interview at Starbucks the interviewer was already there when I got there (she had been conducting another interview just before mine), and already had a drink. She asked if I'd like to go get anything and I said yes, but then kind of regretted that. I felt kind of odd just leaving her sitting there for a few minutes while I waited on line and ordered and stuff. </p>
<p>If she had asked if I wanted anything with the connotation that she was going to go get it for me, I probably would have politely declined, for simplicity's sake.</p>
<p>There is NOTHING odd that you should feel if your senior (the interviewer) offers to pay for your drink. This is absolutely common meeting protocol. While it's nice and polite for you to offer to pay, the senior already knows it's his/her obligation to pay for the junior (that's YOU).</p>
<p>This is true in business and other social occasions. Don't offer to "go dutch" -- it just strains things. The suggestion of saying "how much do I owe you" is fine. I'd imagine 99.99% of the time, the senior will decline. </p>
<p>Just relax and have a seat.</p>
<p>I agree. ^^^</p>
<p>If I am the more senior person, then I assume I will pay. If I am the junior person, then I would offer and be prepared to pay, but just offer a gracious "thank you" when they pay.</p>
<p>The only way you can go wrong is to say "Dude, aren't you going to get me a drink?"</p>
<p>Didn't read this thread ahead of time, but my d just had an interview at a Starbucks. So:</p>
<p>She got there a tad early as she was worried about traffic. She had emailed the interviewer her cell # a couple of days ahead of time in case he needed to reach her at the last minute (again worried about traffic or last minute snafus). She DID NOT ask for his cell #.</p>
<p>The interviewer bought d a small hot chocolate. (She's not a coffee drinker.) She did offer to pay for the hot chocolate and his drink, also. He declined - and paid. </p>
<p>I do think she felt more comfortable having something to drink. It made the interview (which lasted over an hour) seem less formal, somehow.</p>
<p>Obviously thanked him for the drink as she left. She also wrote a follow-up thank you note to him for making her first interview a great experience. And he did!</p>
<p>Her overall impression of her first interview: FUN!</p>
<p>Kudos to all those who interview and make it positive.</p>
<p>My interviewer said that they will pay for it in the very first email I received, lol.</p>
<p>I let them. I figured they'd be making lots of $ anyway, being an ivy league grad. :)</p>
<p>I'm so glad someone asked this question. I really hope I can sure up early enough (I have an after school interview) to side step this problem. How early should we show up? Sorry to deviate from the topic a bit.</p>
<p>Actually -- I disagree with those who have said that it is expected that the "senior" person should pay. I have been an alumni interviewer for many years and, as a volunteer who does this for my alma mater, I would not continue to do it if I ended up personally funding Starbucks drinks for each interviewee. I DO ask the interviewee if I can buy them something to be polite, but the majority politely decline and buy their own drink. The simplest way to do it is the way previously mentioned -- arrive before your interviewer and buy your own drink and sit down. It's less awkward that way.</p>
<p>I think most interviewers would be happy to pay because it's really not that much money. But because you may get an interviewer like blackeyedsusan (nothing wrong with it), you would be better off to decline or get a drink first.</p>
<p>@Dreamingoutloud: I mostly arrived about 15 minutes early to an interview. that gives me plenty of time to order a drink and scope out the best seats without looking very awkward. Once though, there wasn't too much traffic and I ended up being over half an hour early! Finished my drink before my interviewer even got here.</p>