Interview skills How to impress
Generating a good first impression isn’t magic, but it can rely on judging the situation well and creating rapport with your interviewer
Creating rapport in an interview Rapport is the connection between two people; the spoken and unspoken words that say ‘we are on the same page’. It is the art of making someone feel comfortable and accepted. To create rapport, you need to know how to connect with others regardless of their age, gender, ethnic background, mood, or the situation. This skill is never more
important than in an interview, where someone’s immediate impression of you is critical. Creating a connection with your interviewer is likely to have a large impact on whether or not they wish to employ you. We tend to be attracted to
people that we consider similar to ourselves. When rapport is good, similarities are emphasised and differences are minimised. Rapport is an essential basis for successful communication – where there is no rapport there is no (real) communication! We naturally experience rapport with close friends or people who share an interest with us. However, we can learn to create
rapport with anybody, even with those with whom we disagree.
First impressions count Whether we like it or not, judgements are made about us by the way we look, our clothes, hair, facial expressions, and our posture. These decisions will usually be made within the first few seconds of meeting with you. Even before you speak, your
interviewer will be absorbing non-verbal clues about you. You will be judged by how you stand, how you walk, how you shake hands, how you smile, and how you sit. That’s why it’s important to plan your clothes, and even how you comb your hair before a meeting. The way you present
yourself can help influence a person’s impression of you. For example, dark clothing suggests authority; lighter colours suggest friendliness or a sense of humour; lots of jewellery suggests power or wealth. Your hairstyle might suggest sensible, cutting-edge, formal or friendly; your make-up can suggest glamorous or professional.
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Take a genuine interest Focus on the interviewer as a person and your overall attitude is likely to become more genuine. When you first meet a prospective employer, visualise that person as an important guest in your home. Naturally then, you will be glad to see them, and you want to make them feel welcome and at ease. Your overall goal should be to understand them rather than expecting them to understand you. However, don’t be too friendly too quickly, or you may appear false. Instead, hold yourself back, and increase your level of curiosity.
Remember to: • Smile when you first see your interviewer
• Establish and maintain eye contact
• Be the first to say hello and extend your hand
• Deliver a sincere greeting
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