CAREER
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
As soon as you walk through the door of a job interview you are being judged. First impressions remain vitally important. Anthony Gordon offers some advice to ensure you get off to the best start…
There’s rarely such a thing as a job for life these days. Most of us will work for several employers over our lifetime and, in the current economic climate, competition for most roles is fierce. Like it or not, first impressions still count for a great deal when you turn up for an interview. Besides knowing that you are capable of doing the job, a prospective employer is going to want to know whether you can act as an ambassador for their brand, fit in with the rest of any existing team and show potential for the future. Making a good first impression can help swing an interview in your favour from the very beginning. If you’ve an imminent interview, congratulations! Make sure you’re prepared to ‘wow’ them from the moment you walk through the door.
1. Think about your appearance. It may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised by the number of people who still think dressing casually will do their chances no harm. In some circumstances and some companies, it won’t, but in others, it will. Don’t assume that just because the person interviewing you works for some young and funky company that they have a relaxed attitude towards attire. Everyone likes to see that you’ve made an effort and can look professional and presentable should the need arise. In short, you can never dress too smart for a job interview. If you haven’t got a suit and can’t afford to invest in one, ask around friends to see if you can borrow.
2. Arrive early. Check the Transport For London website
interviewing you may well open the conversation with a comment about the weather or your journey to the interview. They want to engage with you at a more informal level before getting down to the nitty gritty.
6. Try to maintain eye contact when speaking, and make sure you can also demonstrate that you are able to listen. Using the interviewer’s name makes the interview more personable, and shows that you paid attention during the introductions stage – but don’t go overboard. Over- familiarity can come across as sycophantic.
7. Carry copies of your CV, and know its contents inside out. Should you be pressed for more details about a specific point, a look of blank confusion does not go down well. Don’t tell lies or make up hobbies to make yourself appear more interesting!
the night before your interview to ensure your regular transport services aren’t closed or on strike. Even if all appears to be running smoothly, give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.
3. Treat everyone equally – whomever they are. You might be working with these people in a few weeks’ time, and for all you know, the receptionist you were rude to might be dating the very person who is interviewing you.
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4. Practise your handshake. You want to come across as confident, at ease and pleased to meet your interviewer. In fact, you may even want to practise speaking out loud beforehand – particularly the key points that you want to get across to the interviewer. Speaking these words aloud also helps to cement them in your mind.
5. Be prepared for small talk. When you sit down for an interview, the person
8. Be prepared to give examples of when you have demonstrated initiative in past roles, and also be armed with your own questions to ask at the end of the interview. “What do you enjoy most about working at [name of company]?” shows you have an interest in the organisation and its culture.
9. Finally, be aware that you might be judged before you’ve event set foot through the door. It’s not unknown for some prospective employers nowadays to check the Facebook or LinkedIn profiles of those they summon for interview. Either ensure your privacy settings disallow this, or that you don’t post anything that could embarrass you.
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