When you’re trying to change career, everything hinges on that interview. Your experience and qualifications, as well as the way that you come across when speaking with the interviewer, are all going to inform their decision, but they will have already made part of their decision before you even get to any of that. Even though they don’t realize it, people make a judgment about you in the first few seconds of meeting you. After a couple of minutes, they will already have made up their mind about whether they like you or not, which is just as important as your experience and qualifications. If they don’t think that you’ll fit into the team well, they won’t hire you regardless. That’s why it’s so important that you make a good first impression in every interview that you go to. Here are some great tips that will help you along.
Don’t Be Late
This is obvious but it’s still worth reiterating. If you’re late, you’ve got pretty much no chance of recovering from it, no matter how well you answer all of their questions. Even being a few minutes late gives a terrible first impression and they won’t be impressed if you start making excuses. Punctuality is important in the workplace so anybody that’s late to interview isn’t going to get hired. It’s always a good idea to head down there the day before so you know exactly where the place is. On the day of the interview, make sure that you leave with plenty of time to account for traffic or anything else that might go wrong along the way. It always looks good if you arrive early and you’ll go into the interview with a bit of a head start if you do.
Look Smart
It goes without saying that you need to look the part for the interview. If you turn up in a shirt that hasn’t ironed with a badly fitting suit, it shows a level of carelessness and they’ll be concerned that you’ll carry that attitude over to your work. It’s also important to remember the smaller details like getting a good haircut before you go to interview as well. A new haircut is a good opportunity to make yourself stand out as well, you can get some great ideas on https://therighthairstyles.com/, just don’t go for anything too outlandish, you need to keep it professional. You should also try to inject a bit of your personality into your outfit so they can get a sense of who you are. If they don’t think that you’ve got much of a personality, they’ll be reluctant to hire you. Small details like shoes, ties or pocket squares are all good ways of showing the interviewer who you are without sacrificing your professionalism.
Eating And Drinking
People don’t often think that drinking a cup of coffee or eating a sandwich while you wait is a bad thing but it doesn’t always look that professional. The fact that you couldn’t fit lunch in before the interview suggests that you’re pretty disorganised and chaotic. Visit http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ for more information on the importance of organization in the workplace. It also looks bad if you enter the interview with a mouthful of sandwich or an empty coffee cup. It’s only a small detail but it could be the difference between success and failure.
Remember The Receptionist
You’re probably focused on the people you’re going to meet in the interview and you aren’t going to give a second thought to the person that greets you at the front desk but that’s a big mistake. It’s very common for employers to ask their receptionist about the candidates and how they came across. It’s a good way to get a sense of what you’re really like without you realizing that you’re being assessed. This initial impression is quite a big factor in their decision a lot of the time so the way that you interact with the receptionist is important. Always make sure that you’re polite and even ask them a few questions about the company, it really shows that you’re invested in the company and enthusiastic about working there.
Don’t Touch Your Phone
Even after your initial meeting with the receptionist, they’re still taking note of what you do while you’re waiting. If you immediately reach for your phone, it gives the impression that you’re not that bothered about the job. It looks far better if you take the time to go over your notes and resume and make any final preparations for the interview instead. When the receptionist reports back, they’ll say that you’re enthusiastic about getting the job.
Making a good first impression makes all of the difference in an interview and even if you’ve practiced your questions properly, a bad initial impression could ruin everything.
