Addressing interviewers by their first names?

Question

I know that for the most part you should address the interviewer by Ms./Mr., etc., but what if they introduce themselves by their first name? Or leave a message by email or phone saying, "Hello, this is....."

Most people I've interviewed with have never explicitly said "Please call me X". I usually just call them Mr. or Ms. and refer to them as such in follow up correspondance.

Has this changed? Should I stay with the formal and polite address or is it okay to call a potential employers by their first names IF they use it when introducing themselves?

Answer 1

It is polite to refer to people as they refer to themselves. So if your interviewer says, "Hi, I'm Mary", it's ok to call her Mary both in person and in any subsequent correspondence. If Mary doesn't like it, she has only herself to blame.

Answer 2

Mr. or Ms. until told otherwise by the interviewer. Always.