Anyone have any advice for job interviews in Japanese?

I had a brief interview over the phone this morning, but let a 僕 slip out and didn't feel confident in my responses.

I know there is a wealth of 就活 literature out there, but for foreigners (particularly westerners/Americans), does anybody have any good advice that you could give from experience?

I'd appreciate anything. Thanks!

Unless you are a woman I don't see what at all is wrong about referring to oneself as 僕

I think in a job interview, it's a bit unprofessional. All the literature I've read has said stick to 私（わたし, not わたくし）for business situations. My current boss has chided me about it before too, but it's become my 口癖.

とにかく、実際に日本語での面接を受けた経験のある方から、面接の受け方やその面接がうまくいくようにするコツがあれば、教えて頂ければ幸いです。よろしくお願いします。

Yeah, you definitely shouldn't say 僕. I was just practicing for an interview I did in Tokyo with a friend, and she told me that すごい and すごく are also a bad idea. Which makes sense, but I wasn't really thinking about it before she told me.

I got the impression that at the job interview I just did they were also checking to make sure I knew basic Japanese business practice, such as how to knock, enter a room, sit down, exchange business cards, and so on. I know that there are plenty of books about this aimed at foreigners (often written in simple Japanese), as well as Japanese. I've also seen it covered in materials made for that business Japanese exam.

とにかく気を使うことです。外国人であることを考慮して、最初の投稿で言ったような小さなミスなら分かってくれる会社もあれば、関係なく日本人と同じ扱いをする会社もあります。けど面接は日本語でするって時点で、ちゃんとした敬語を使った方がいいのでは？
つまり、面接受ける前に十分練習して、敬語モードに入ったほうがええです(笑)

僕のボスは日本人やけど前からの知り合いでめっさ大阪人やから別に「僕」言うても、敬語使わなくても、タメ口やない限りは全然気にせえへんタイプです。(・ω・)bﾗｯｷ～

sethgさんは、どういう仕事を目指してるんですか？100%僕の単なる興味からの質問やけど・・・(笑)

I think わたくし and わたし are both fine, depends how formal you want to be.

Anyway, first make sure you have a good command of keigo (probably goes without saying), then find someone (preferably a qualified Japanese teacher who has experience in working at a Japanese company) to practice with. Write down in advance paragraphs on 自己紹介、 長所、　能力、 職歴、　大学で頑張ったこと、志望動機 (about 300-400字 each） and so on, depending on what's relevant to the job and stage of career and practice reciting them (doesn't have to be exact), so you know what to say if you get asked these things. Don't forget to appreciate the differences between 話し言葉　and 書き言葉 (eg. 御社vs貴社、て形vs連用中止形、　和語vs漢語）.

For real life interviews, I guess I can think of knocking on the door twice before you enter the room, entering when told, then closing the door quietly, saying 失礼致します then bowing (at about 45 degrees for roughly 2 seconds). Then walk next to your seat, put your belongings on the floor next to the seat, introduce yourself (eg.　◯大学◯部＜名前＞と申します。　どうぞよろしくお願いします　or whatever）, then once told to seat, say はい、ありがとうございます or some other perfunctory response, then sit down. At the end of the interview, when they say 今日はありがとうございます or something, you should say ありがとうございます and bow while seated　（ありがとうございました is acceptable but carries a nuance of the current event being finished, instead of hinting at a continued relationship). Then stand up and thank the interviewer(s) again, say どうぞよろしくお願いいたします, bow、 go to the door, face the interviewer(s), say 失礼致します bow, then leave quietly (ie. don't slam the door).

Of course, the above is just one example. You need to 臨機応変 to whatever happens.

I can't really think of anything else really. If you can speak in keigo and do the above kind of stuff properly, the Japanese culture aspect of the interview process is covered. The most important thing is of course how you sell yourself as a potential employee.