{ Dear Cookbook, There’s not a lot of money for food these days, is it really that important to eat before an interview? My dad always used to say if you were hungry you’d work harder. Doesn’t this apply to job interviews too? Thanks, Ethan }

Now that I’ve been established as a ‘leader’ in my field, I get a lot of pretty lame questions. And even though I think they are lame, it’d look bad if I didn’t answer them. And Ethan, this is one of those questions. You’re wondering why it’s important to eat before an interview? Well, let me tell you why: #1 you don’t want your tummy to grumble and #2 you can’t afford to be weak.

No tummy grumbling. Seriously, if your tummy starts grumbling during an interview you might as well be holding up a cardboard sign that says “will work for food.” Not to mention if your interviewer somehow overlooks the fact you haven’t eaten, he’s going to low ball you on your salary because he knows you’re desperate. And that’s if you’re lucky. What if the interviewer mistakes your tummy grumbling for gas? No matter how broke you are, this is a cardinal rule you just can’t afford to break. Continue reading →