How to Make a Good Impression on Your Next Job Interview
Making a positive impression to your interviewer is vital when looking to take the next step in your career path.
It's common for vacant job positions to have a large number of candidates apply for them, each with similar experience and academic qualifications. This can mean that they are very competitive and interviewers will look for other things, outside of experience, that will make the successful candidate stand out from the crowd.
You've already done the hard work which was progressing through to the interview process, so now it's important to put measures in place so that you show up as your best self on the day.
We have collected some of our top tips for how to make a good impression at a job interview, which can help put you in a better position to land your dream role.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!
Preparation is key when it comes to anything in life, especially when it comes to attending a job interview. Your interviewer is likely to fire many questions to you so they can find out more about you as a person and whether you fit with their company's values. These will likely involve:
Competency questions - the interviewer will want to know examples of how you have previously reacted to scenarios in the workplace and dealt with them appropriately. It's important that you collect a list of difference scenarios where you have performed well and showed your abilities in a range of expressions, such as good leadership, communication skills, problem solving and more.
Individual-based questions - the interviewer will want to know more about what you're like as a person, and how you work in the workplace.
Company-based questions - you have applied for the company, so the interviewer is likely to ask you why you chose the role and want to test you on your knowledge of the company. You should prepare by conducting some research into the company, including it's history and performance in recent times.
You can read more about common interview questions on our blog post, which will help you prepare some answers that will impress your interviewer.
Dress Appropriately
When you are going for an interview, there is usually a dress code that you are expected to adhere to. Failing to meet the company's dress code standards can be a bad first impression and result in them turning you away before you've even spoken a word.
Whether it's a shirt and trousers or smart/casual attire, your interviewer will expect you to come dressed appropriately and show pride in your appearance.
We recommend clarifying with the interviewer what the dress code is, just to make sure that you are aware before the day.
Manage Your Nerves
Job interviews are a nerve wracking process for everyone, and if someone tells you different then they are a liar! It's natural to feel nervous before a job interview, as it is an important event and something that matters to you. If you didn't feel nervous then it would be strange!
To help manage your nerves, we recommend that you embrace them, rather than fight them, and perceive them as excitement for your job interview. We also recommend that you focus on your breathing, as this will help slow it down and help clear your mind.
Arrive Early
Time keeping is an expected quality that all companies expect their employees to have, so being late to a job interview is the worst thing you can do.
To avoid the risk of arriving late, we recommend that you arrive ahead of time. Get the earlier train, jump on the earlier bus or beat the car traffic by leaving an extra 15-30 minutes earlier than the estimate travel time to make sure that you aren't finding excuses to your potential employer.
Express Positive Body Language
Body language is just as important as what you say during a job interview. Not only does your body language paint a picture to the interviewer about what you're like as a person, but it can also affect how you think of yourself.
Poor body language can come in the form of poor posture, lack of eye contact, fidgeting, stiffness and other expressions which portray an individual lacking confidence and social skills. As well as deterring an interviewer, it can psychologically affect an individual and worsen their performance on the day.
Make eye contact with the interviewer, sit up straight and focus on the questions they are asking you and you will ooze confidence that can place you in a better position for the role.
Make Small Talk With Your Interviewer
Aside from the conversation being dominated by topics about the role, an interviewer will like small talk that displays you're a friendly, easy-going individual that would fit in well with their team.
Speak about anything that you may have shared interests in, such as sports, weekend activities and ask plenty of questions. As well calming your own nerves, this will show that you can hold a conversation well and make the interview flow naturally, rather than feeling structured.
Try to avoid any cliches (conversations about the weather) or anything else that may feel forced or over compensating.
Ask Questions to Your Interviewer
The purpose of the job interview is so that the interviewer finds out more about you as an individual, however it's also important to show that you want to find out more about them.
The interviewer would have to ask hundreds of questions to candidates during the hiring process, and are likely even bored of the sound of their own voice, so asking them questions is one way to impress them and show your inquisitiveness.
You can ask a series of questions to stand out from other candidates, including asking questions about the interviewer's personal role, the organisation, any recent developments in the news that could have affected the company, or anything about the role that hasn't been covered.
How NOT to Make a Good Impression
You've now got a checklist to go through so that you make a great first impression on your interviewer and put you in the best position to secure the job. However, there are some things that you should completely avoid during a job interview that can leave a sour taste in the interviewer's mouth and destroy any chance of you progressing.
We strongly advise that you avoid:
Discussing salary expectations or benefits, unless prompted
Talk badly about your current/ex employer
Ask the interviewer any overly personal questions
Lie or create fabricated scenarios about your experience
Discuss any other job interviews that you may have lined up
