Impressing your interviewer is vital to getting the first foot in the door and there are many ways in which you can do this. This means there are plenty of ways to prepare for your interview in addition to having a clear view on how you can best serve the business, company and competitor knowledge etc.

Here are 5 tips to help you impress

Good First Impressions

Sounds simple right? But actually creating a good first impression has a time limit; according to a wide variety of industry experts, you have 30 secs for the initial first impression to embed and only 5 minutes before employers will decide if you’re a good fit for their organisation and the job! By that point, the interviewer may not even care how qualified you are, so you must consider the other factors.

Things to consider:

• Your clothes and grooming – make sure you are appropriately dressed (perhaps do some research on social media and/or ask your recruiter. Also make sure you’re clean and well kempt
• Timeliness – your time keeping is paramount (do not be late!), if you’re going to be late make sure you advise your interviewer in advance
• Preparation – interviewers will want to see that you’re sufficiently prepared for the interview
• Eye contact – you’re not expected to hold a loving gaze but do make sure you hold eye contact
• Banter – if you’re going to have a bit of small talk make sure it’s relevant and concise

Body Language

What’s that saying “clothes help make the (wo)man”, well it’s true! If you’re dressed well it helps you feel confident, if you feel confident you will give off positive body language (hopefully)! Body language can be a deal breaker; this can be anything from failing to keep eye contact to fidgeting. So ensure that your body language exudes the right kind of message.

Don’t avoid you weaknesses, embrace them!

You know the interviewer will ask and so this means you can prepare your answer! Now it’s the preparation that is the tricky part, as you need to show self-reflection, ability to acknowledge responsibility and that you’re able to accept constructive criticism and then rectify the problem. Also be careful to not come across as arrogant or inauthentic.

Often candidates try to conceal a strength as a weakness, i.e. “I’m very hard on myself.” Rather than actually addressing an issue they have already overcome.

For example:

“When giving feedback to my colleagues, sometimes I can be too direct/honest. I’m naturally quite a straight to the point type of person and most of my colleagues value that but I am aware there are times when being more diplomatic is required. I took an internal management course and it gave me a greater depth of insight as to why I need to communicate differently with different people. Now I feel I’m much better at delivering constructive feedback.”

Embrace asking questions

When it’s your turn to ask questions and the interviewer is put on their toes, don’t cut and run! Especially if you wish to leave a good impression, as having no questions show a lack of preparation and interest.  Use this time to gain insight into the company, role, interviewer, team etc.

Manners

Don’t forget them, from the moment you walk in, to the moment you leave. Don’t forget that much like clothes “manners maketh the (wo)man”! Please, pardon and thank you – all go along way towards a lasting impression.

Have you got any top tips to help ace an interview? If so please share them in the comments below.