Job Interviews: The Key To Making A Good First Impression
There’s a lot of speculation surrounding the time it takes to make an impression on someone – some say it takes about 30 seconds for someone to make a judgement about you, and others, such as Forbes, claim it’s a mere 7 seconds (scary, right)!
Whatever the time span, making a positive first impression in a professional setting is always important, as it moulds all future thoughts and decisions (such as whether to hire you or not). As much as some people would like it, you can’t make a second first impression, so you’ve got to make the first count!
Eye contact
In relationship-based industries like Recruitment and Sales, your whole career is based around connecting with people, which, if done face-to-face, requires being able to hold eye contact. You will struggle to ever connect with someone if they can’t look you in the eye, and can even make the other person feel uncomfortable. If nervousness is the reason you struggle with this, just remember that the interaction will probably go better if the interviewer feels like they’re being talked to, and not the wall behind them.
As important as it is to be able to make eye contact in the first place, it is just as important to judge an appropriate length of contact – holding it for long, too widely, or too deeply is a sure-fire way to make the other person feel uncomfortable, and can come across as a bit odd. If you feel like you might be staring, jot some points down on a notepad from time to time; this will give an excuse for a break in eye-contact, and will also give you a moment to collect your thoughts whilst writing down any questions to bring up later.
Handshake
Start the interview as you wish to go on! If you offer a hand for an interviewer to shake, make it firm and purposeful, and not limp and uncertain. The pressure tends to be where people go wrong – on one hand (excuse the pun), you don’t want to break any fingers, but on the other hand, people don’t want to shake a floppy, fish-like hand. It’s very important to have a good handshake, and doesn’t take any skill, so find a happy medium between limp and vice-like, and try not to break any fingers in the process!
Needless to say, excessive shaking, similar to playing the maracas, and holding on for too long, can both be perceived as intrusive and potentially a little weird. If you’re unsure of your technique, have a family member or close friend volunteer themselves (perhaps with a little bribary) to be your guinea pig.
Outfit
Always take into account the job you’re interviewing for, and the company that you’re aiming to be a part of; this is key because an outfit that would be perfectly acceptable to wear to one company may be very inappropriate for another. An artsy, creative company (such as a design agency) will have a more relaxed dress code, whereas a corporate company (like insurance or recruitment) will expect a well-fitting suit.
If you’re unsure, ask the person you have been in contact with at the business, or when in doubt, Google does have the answer to everything. It is always safer to be a little overdressed rather than under, unless you’re thinking of going with a bowtie and tailcoat, in which case, it’s probably safer to dress down.
Punctuality
If you experience genuine traffic issues, that are out of the ordinary and can’t be predicted, then you might be excused for being late. But even so, it doesn’t make a favourable impression. The general rule is to aim to get to your interview 10 minutes early, which not only gives a good impression of punctuality, but also gives you some time breathe, go over any notes, and generally allows time to collect your thoughts.
If you are running behind, for whatever reason, make sure you give as much warning as you can so the interviewer can be prepared, and not just be sat idly waiting for you to show up.
If you’re in the process of finding a new career and are interested in hearing about the roles we’re currently recruiting for, get in touch with us here at 5Q Consultancy on 0203 700 8483. We are Recruitment Specialists who pair talented individuals with Recruitment, Sales and Office Support opportunities across England (with a focus on the South).
