How To Make A Good First Impression
Making a good first impression is vital to ensuring the rest of the interview goes smoothly. But how exactly do you do this?
Arrive on time!
It may seem like an obvious one, but it’s one of the most important ways to make a good impression. Being late will set the interview off on a sour note and you may be rushed through yours to make time for the next applicant. It’s always best to arrive slightly early, however saying this, avoid arriving early as this puts pressure on the interviewer.
Be smartly presented
Again, this might be a given, but avoid rocking up to an interview in jeans and a t-shirt. A suit or smart clothing is the most appropriate for an interview. Also ensure the clothing is ironed and clean with no loose threads or stains! Also, it’s important that you are comfortable with what you are wearing, and it doesn’t act as a distraction.
Remember your body language and posture
Open posture is key to looking relaxed and confident in your interview. Avoid balling your fists, slouching, and tightly crossing your arms or legs. It’s understandable that you might be nervous but try your best to come across relaxed and with open body language.
Speak Clearly
Try your best to speak clearly and with an even tone. This make be tricky, and you may be tempted to speak quickly due to nerves but just be aware of the rate you are speaking. Again, nerves might make this tricky, but if you can, try to avoid using phrases such as ‘like’ and ‘um’ and instead pause before answering a question.
Make eye contact
By making eye contact you come across as confident and interested in what the interviewer has to say. However, make sure that you don’t overdo it! Take breaks every so often, as constant eye contact can come across as a staring which can be quite off-putting!
Remember Prof. Robert Kelly
Nowadays many interviews are being conducted over Teams, Zoom or something similar. This can make us feel more relaxed as we will probably be in the comfort of our own home, however, try to make sure that your surroundings portray a calm yet professional atmosphere. Think about potential distractions in the home, arrange babysitters or someone to take the dog for a walk if you need to. Use backgrounds but be professional with your choice, pink fluffy unicorns on rainbows aren’t everyone's cup of tea.
Be Confident
Remember the employer has taken time out of their busy day to meet you. You have something that they want to know more about. Be confident and don’t undersell yourself.
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Admin - Published On
21/04/2022