Home » 7 Tips To Making A Good First Impression On An Interview
7 Tips To Making A Good First Impression On An Interview
Posted: Saturday, August 11, 2007
by Kevin Thompson
http://www.InterviewTeacher.com
The old cliché, the first impression is a lasting one, is very true when it comes to interviewing. In fact, when you first meet someone, it will take less than 30 second for them to arrive at an opinion of who they think you are. Now we both know that that really is not fair, but it happens all the time. Your best defense is a good offence; you need to review the following tips to make a good first impression.
Smile – One of the keys to making a good first impression is to smile when you meet someone. This means not just the person you are scheduled to interview with but everyone you meet in the organization. You never know who you are passing in the hallway; it might be the President or CEO of the organization.
Make and Maintain Eye Contact – Having good eye contact establishes a level of trust between you and the person you are speaking with. Do not let your eyes wander. Make the person you are addressing feel like there is no one else in the world more important than them, by giving them your complete attention.
Give a Firm Hand Shake – Nothing else can make a bad impression like a limp or half hearted hand shake. This is the first time that you will have physical contact with each other. Make sure that you do not squeeze or try to over power the person you are shaking hands with. Remember, this entire process is about establishing an initial relationship, what does your hand shake say in this process?
Listen without Anticipation – Focus on the words and concepts being shared with you. Do not interrupt the person speaking with an answer before they have finished speaking. That is considered rude. In addition, anticipating and formulating an answer prior to allowing the speaker to finish their thought may rob you from hearing their complete conversation and can lead you to misinterpret them as a result.
Dress to Impress – Even if you know that the dress code for this organization is business casual, you must come dressed to impress to the interview. You are coming to get the job, so gentlemen should wear a suit and tie and ladies should where a dress suit. Some people believe that it is acceptable to wear a pants suit to an interview. I’ll answer them this way, if you believe wearing a pants suit would be considered accept for a lady to wear on an interview 90% of the time, would you be willing to take a 10% risk on getting your dream job? Play it safe and wear a dress suit.
How is Your Breath? – This is an area easily overlooked but can have a dramatic impact on your first impression. I try to schedule my interviews at 11:00 AM. This will allow me to have breakfast, brush my teeth afterward, and not be hungry. If you have an interview scheduled for the afternoon, be sure not to eat anything at lunch time that contains garlic or onions. Brushing your teeth before the interview or eating a breath mint will help. Make sure that the breath mint is no longer in your mouth before you enter the building for the interview.
Go to the Lavatory – Make sure you arrive early enough to go to the lavatory to freshen up and use the facilities. This is a last minute opportunity to pump yourself up and give yourself the visual once over to ensure that have done everything you need to make that good first impression.
Following these 7 tips will provide you with the confidence to make a good first impression on your next job interview.
Kevin Thompson is a radio talk show host and eight time award winning professional speaker honored by an international organization. With more than 25 years of management experience Kevin has been a core trainer and speaker with the N J Department of Labor to scores of professionals focusing on resume and interview techniques. http://interviewteacher.com/
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
These are great tips for interviewees. I often go to the interview with a little bit of anxiety, but for the most part, I'm highly confident that I will be able to answer the questions to the best of my ability.
» left by sara krupa
from UK 1 year 18 days ago.
"I’ll answer them this way, if you believe wearing a pants suit would be considered accept for a lady to wear on an interview 90% of the time, would you be willing to take a 10% risk on getting your dream job? Play it safe and wear a dress suit."
I think this is considered sexist now! Last time I had an interview in 2005, wore pants suit, and got the job. Why? because I am a professional. Not because I wore skirt.
Also, I'm not a great fan of skirts, as my legs are less than perfect. I feel much more confident in trousers, and don't want to sit and think: I look ridiculous, I should have worn trousers.
Wear pants suit if you feel more confident in that outfit!
» left by Kevin Thompson MPA from New Jersey, USA 1 year 18 days ago.
Thanks for you comment Sara. Point well taken. It is the choice of the individual to wear what they will to the interview. I offer these tips as points to consider and ponder before you act.
It is important that you feel confidant and comfortable in the interview. If wearing pants make you feel more confidant please wear them by all means. I wanted readers to understand that some work cultures can be rigid in their dress codes. They are looking for people to comply and fit in.
This may not be the place for you to work and that is fine. It was important to me to let people know that there are still work places who embrace this mindset when it comes to what people wear (an unwritten dress code) that they hire.
Thanks again for writing your comment. I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts.
All the best,
Kevin
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