Michael DeSafey | Executive Recruiter and HR Professional
Make a Dynamic First Impression During Your Job Interview
Make a Dynamic First Impression During Your Job Interview
Making a great first impression when you walk in for a job interview is critical. Your interviewer is already forming their opinion of you from the moment you walk through the door–and how you present yourself will have a substantial impact on whether or not you’re hired. If you want to make a dynamic first impression at your next job interview, these tips will help.
Practice what you want to say. Be prepared for some of the questions that are most likely to be asked in an interview and take the time to practice your answers to them. This will help increase your confidence, which means that you’ll portray yourself as a more capable candidate. It will also allow you to prepare the answers you know employers are looking for.
Customize your portfolio. Take a minute to look through your portfolio before you go in for an interview. Bring the projects that are the most relevant to the position or company you’re applying for to the front. Whether you’re an engineer with a portfolio full of blueprints or a construction worker with specialized skills, make sure you’re showing off the skills your future employer wants to see the most.
Dress to impress. Show up in clothing that is appropriate and professional. Common advice is to show up in an outfit one step more formal than what you’ll be wearing every day, but if you don’t have more formal attire, your daily job attire will suffice. Some tips to keep in mind:
- Try not to choose a new outfit that you’ve worn for the first time for your interview. You need to know how your clothing will look after a car ride and sitting waiting.
- Sit down in your outfit and check it again. Slump, which you’ll likely do at some point during the interview whether you mean to or not. Check to make sure that you’re not showing too much cleavage or having trouble with button gaps.
- Choose practical shoes. You never know when you’ll walk straight out of the interview room for a tour of the office or, worse, a tour of a job site. The last thing you want is to hold up a tour because your shoes don’t fit right or they’re pinching your toes!
Show up at the right time. It’s not just about showing up on time for your interview. It’s also about not showing up too early: interviewers would prefer that you show up within five to ten minutes of your interview time instead of coming through the door when they’re in the middle of taking care of another task.
Go in with a positive attitude. Be positive about the job, yourself, and your previous place of employment. Interviewers want to see candidates who know their strengths, know that they’re a good fit for the job, and are eager to dive in. It’s okay if your nerves show–everyone gets a little nervous before an interview–but if you go in with a positive attitude, it will help smooth over a lot of awkward moments.
Check yourself before you go in. Take the time to visit the restroom and wash and dry your hands. Make sure you have a firm, assured handshake. If you must wear perfume or cologne, keep it minimal: you have no idea what allergies or personal preferences you might face during your interview. Dispose of your trash, whether it’s the paper cup from coffee or a last-minute snack, before you go in. These last-minute details might not matter in the big scheme of things, but they can make a big difference in your first impression!
Your interview starts in the lobby. No, the receptionist isn’t the hiring manager, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to give them a great impression. In fact, some hiring managers will ask the receptionist how candidates behaved! Be polite, keep your phone in your pocket and turned to silent where it belongs, and be attentive to what’s going on around you. These simple steps can have a big impact on the image you present to your interviewer.
When you walk through the door for a job interview, you want to present yourself in the best light possible. These simple steps can make a big difference in the way the interviewer sees you–and that makes it much more likely that you’ll get the job you’re dreaming of.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com
First Impressions Count!! So Make The Right One…
First Impressions Count!! So Make The Right One…
Making a great first impression is essential to having a successful interview. Throughout history many influential leaders have stressed the importance of making a great first impression. Most notably the Greeks thought and wrote extensively about the effects of one person’s personality on another. In today’s business environment these concepts are still very relevant when making a first impression.
Ones Ethos as the Greeks defined it, can be referred to as their ethics. Who you are as a person and how you are perceived by others.
The latter being the more influential in the business world. Who you are perceived to be will greatly determine how much influence you have over another person in business and increase your level of credibility in public. In your personal life though the opposite is true; everything you do and/or do not do personally either adds to or decreases your level of credibility with the ones who know you best and are around you every day. Many of the worlds great leaders had great public success, but personally had troubled or little success in their personal affairs.
In public the first impression you make on others dictates how you will be perceived. The most obvious impression revolves from your appearance. When you first meet someone within 30 seconds or so that person will make a judgment about you based on your appearance and within 1 minute finalize an overall opinion about you based on your tone of voice, body language, etc.. Most notability in a hiring / interview setting most hiring managers will admit they make an assumption on a potential employee in less than a minute after meeting that person; that assumption is very hard to change during the interview if the interviewers mind is made up.
So what can you do to make that great first impression?
(1) While you cannot change your god given physical features, you have complete control over how you dress and present yourself to the world. As it may be a sad commentary on the business world that how you dress will greatly influence how you are perceived. Making a conscious effort to dress professionally and be groomed and clean cut when in a public will greatly influence people’s impression of you. Following fashion trends and/or utilizing accessories such as a brief case, ipad, etc.. all add to your overall image. If necessary, take a look in the mirror, get a few fashion magazines or hire a fashion consultant to help you; as your appearance is the number one influencer on the impression you make within that first 30 seconds.
(2) Your body Language is the next thing people perceive about you. Are you making eye contact? Talking in a strong confident manner? Smiling? Have correct posture? Present a pleasant personality? Your body language says a lot about who you are as a person and leader. So stand tall, make eye contact, speak clearly and slowly, use a moderate tone of voice and when making hand gestures do so purposefully and deliberately. Most importantly be confident.
(3) Know what you are talking about!! Once you have made it past the all-important 1 minute hurdle; you now need to show you know what you are talking about. This is where great business professionals shine. They know their stuff. So in an interview setting, you better be ready to show you are qualified, have the experience and understand the business of the company you are interviewing with. Have your resume with you, do you research on the company understand the position they are talking with you about.
Making a good first impression in the business world go’s a long way in having a successful career. The interview is the first step in building that career. So take the time to prepare and present the best version of you when interviewing.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing (www.webuildstaffing.com). To learn more about Michael or Follow his Blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com