Frighteningly 85% of interviewers say that they make up their minds in the first 3 minutes of an interview, as the infographic from Acuity Training below shows.
This means that all the time that you’ve spent preparing great questions, or thinking about how to answer tricky questions might be for nothing.If you don’t get your first impression right then you interviewer might have made up their mind before you get to them.
Luckily making a good impression is simple and can be practiced. This also means that there’s no excuse for not making one!
- Smile And Look Your Interviewer In The Eye
This is one of the most frequent things that people get wrong, as this article shows. Greet your interviewer properly and with a smile. No one warms to someone who looks at their shoes or is frowning, and you shouldn’t expect your interviewer to either.
- Be on time.
Arriving late and flustered is a guaranteed way to make a bad impression. Short of a national emergency there’s no excuse for being late.
- Dress Appropriately.
This is another one where there is no excuse for getting it wrong. Think about what you are going to wear in advance and make sure that it is clean. If you’re unsure what would be appropriate to wear then either ask or go for the more conservative option that you are considering. People are far more forgiving of overdressing than underdressing.
- Remember To Smile
This really is the most important thing. If you remember nothing else, remember this!
