It's of extreme importance to make a great first impression when going to your first interview. Many people find this tricky, as the initial interview is normally of a short period of time, and you have so much that you want to convey to the interviewer during this period. You want to convey that your confident, genuine, hard working, honest, and overall a likable person, but many people struggle with where to start on this, and as a result, get stressed out before and during the interview, and this then has a knock on effect on how they actually do during the interview.
In this article, I'd like to mention some of the things I normally do when going for interviews. I've had many interviews over the years, and hand on heart, I can say I have a 90% and above success rate. Now these weren't interviews for small corner stores (although we all have to start somewhere) but a mixture of environments, from working within an electronics store, working for a top law firm in the capital city, to working in a small television studio. These are a mixture of jobs, but the basics are always the same in that you have to convey the correct message.
The first thing you need to do is to make sure that your appearance is up to scratch. This includes everything from the clothes you'll wear, to how your hair looks. For most interviews this would involve wearing a business suit, but for some, it may be a bit more casual. Find out what is expected, and dress appropriately. For example, if your going for an office position, wear a business suit with polished shoes. It's always best to try and dress better than they'll expect you to dress without going over the top. Remember you want to stand out, but stand out for the right reasons.
Personally, I don't normally wear aftershave when going for interviews, as there is a slim chance the interviewer either won't like the scent or they could be allergic. I don't want to take the risk, so I make sure that all my clothes are fresh, I smell good via deodorant, and that I chew on some gum before I go into the interview, making sure to dispose of it before getting to the premises.
You'll want to bring a copy of your CV and cover letter to the interview, as you may be asked for it by the interviewer, and it shows good preparation skills if you have this to hand. When you see the person who'll be conducting the interview, give them a genuinely warm smile, and a firm handshake. They'll then take you to where the interview will commence, only sit down once they've told you to. When you do sit down, and during the interview, keep good eye contact, remembering to look away every now and then as you don't want to scare them by rarely blinking or breaking the eye contact, and sit upright in the chair, don't slouch. Don't interrupt the person when they speak, but be firm in your voice when talking to convey confidence. Don't fidget in your chair as this displays nervousness, so no tapping your foot on the floor, changing position every minute, looking around the room, playing with your jewellery etc.
Hopefully you've researched the position before hand, as you'll always be asked if you have any questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview. Don't dive into pay related questions, instead focus on the company, and your possible role within it. What would be the learning curve for yourself for example, would you work alongside someone or would you be by yourself for the first week etc. Don't ask slacker questions, so questions about how long is the lunch break, how many holiday dates are you entitled to etc. When you get the job, this will all be told to you in due course.
During the interview, remember that whilst you are the one on the spot, this is only to an extent, as while they want to see if your suitable for the position, you also want to find out whether this is a company you want to work for. The pressure really isn't only on you. You need to ask questions and get a feel for the company and the position in which you will be working. How does the interviewer come across, what do you think of the premises and what the companies aims and goals are etc.
After the interview, again, give the interviewer a firm handshake, and thank them for their time. Leave the premises immediately, don't hang about. Your aim for this interview, was to come into the interview at least 15 minutes ahead of time to convey that you're a good time keeper, impress them during the interview using the steps mentioned so far, and then be on your way. There have been many stories told about people who have interviewed well, and then screwed it up at the end by hanging around and doing something foolish. Don't make this mistake.
Now, I'll mention something to you which not many people do, and which can work massively in your favour, so pay attention. The majority of people have an interview, finish the interview, and then wait for a call back or a letter in the post. This isn't proactive enough for my liking. What I do, and what I've had great success doing is sending a thank you letter to the interviewer. The same day I've been interviewed, I'll type up a letter, basically stating that I want to thank them for their time, and for the possibility of working for their company etc. Address it to the interviewer at the company, and post it that day, so that they'll either receive it the next day, or the day after.
D Trotman
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