Interviews: How to Create a First Impression That Lasts [Top Tips]

When interviewing for a job, it’s certainly not hard to find plenty of advice online about how to prepare for the interview. Your resume looks flawless. You’ve studied the company’s website. You’ve prepared a number of questions to ask the interviewer. You’ve carefully chosen your wardrobe to make sure you’re dressed appropriately. Unless you’re a recent college graduate, chances are this isn’t your first interview, and you know the drill.

But when thinking about an upcoming interview, don’t overlook the small details of your first encounter with a potential employer. While they may not require practice or preparation, being cognizant of them can prove to be the difference in returning from the interview employed or unemployed. Here’s how to master your first impression.

The Handshake

Possibly the simplest, yet most easily overlooked part of the interview. It always amazes me how much you can tell about a person from his or her handshake, and how many people form opinions based on this and are never willing to change them. Want to show a potential employer that you’re shy, lazy or just can’t be bothered with the task of meeting new people? There’s no better way than to give them a “dead fish” handshake. Many people find the unwillingness to give a firm handshake as the sign of a lack of commitment or determination – both qualities an interviewer wants to see in an eager new employee.

Want to show them that you’re impatient, brash and hard to manage? An overly firm handshake will do just that. No one likes a handshake that leaves their hand hurting afterward. Some see this as a sign of an overly aggressive personality – one that can certainly be unpleasant to deal with in the workplace.

Finally, nothing says “I couldn’t care less about meeting you” more than not bothering to look at the person with whom you’re shaking hands. A personal pet peeve of mine, if someone can’t be bothered with making eye contact when shaking hands, I know for sure this is not the person I want working for me. I can even recall one or two instances when the person with whom I was shaking hands started a conversation with someone else in the room while shaking my hand. If this ever happened to me with a potential job candidate, it would be the shortest interview I ever conducted.

The Greeting

This should be common knowledge, but then so should many other things that are often overlooked. When meeting a potential employer for the first time, keep your greeting cordial and formal. “Pleasure to meet you” will make a good first impression – simple and polite. Remember that you’re not hanging out with your friends at the local pub. If you’re lucky, you may eventually achieve that level of friendship with the person with whom you’re interviewing. But until then, “Sup?” is not a proper greeting.

Remember: You’re Being Watched

From the moment you step foot on company property until the moment you leave, keep in mind that your actions may be reported to your potential employer. If you’re the type of person who is only polite to those who outrank you and can further your career, expect your self-serving nature to eventually come back to haunt you. Nearly every veteran recruiter has a story of a candidate who disrespected a receptionist or maintenance worker in a potential employer’s office en route to the interview, only to lose the job because of it. The same goes for littering in the parking lot, eating in the reception area before the interview, or any other action that may signal the employer that you are not the ideal personality type that they want working for them.

Any new hire can attest to the amount of work that goes into getting a new job. From the long-term preparation (education, work experience and training) to the short-term preparation (studying the potential employer’s company, products and culture), always keep in mind subtleties such as body language and manners. While they alone may not be enough to get you hired, they can certainly be the reason you are not chosen. And what sadder way for a perfectly qualified candidate to lose a job opportunity?

via Interviews: How to Create a First Impression That Lasts [Top Tips].

Interviews: How to Create a First Impression That Lasts [Top Tips]

Fascinating Facts About Eye Contact

Did you know that eye contact is like Goldilocks and the three bears?

It’s true.

Too much eye contact is instinctively felt to be rude, hostile and condescending; and in a business context, it may also be perceived as a deliberate intent to dominate, intimidate, belittle, or make “the other” feel at a disadvantage. (Which was how Goldilocks felt when the bears caught her eating their porridge). So unless you have in mind doing one of those things, it’s better to avoid too much eye contact.

Too little, on the other hand, can make you appear uneasy, unprepared, and insincere. In its analysis of patients’ complaints, for example, one large county hospital found, that 9-out-of-10 letters included mention of poor doctor-patient eye contact; a failure which was generally interpreted as “lack of caring.”

“Just the right” amount of eye contact – the amount that produces a feeling of mutual likability and trustworthiness – will vary with situations, settings, personality types, gender and cultural differences. As a general rule, though, direct eye contact ranging from 30% to 60% of the time during a conversation – more when you are listening, less when you are speaking – should make for a comfortable productive atmosphere.

And did you know these other facts about eye contact?

• Eye contact produces a powerful, subconscious sense of connection that extends even to drawn or photographed eyes; a fact demonstrated by Researchers at Cornell University who manipulated the gaze of the cartoon rabbit on several Trix cereal boxes, asked a panel of adults to choose one, and discovered, as they expected, that the box most frequently chosen was the one on which the rabbit was looking directly at them, rather than away.

• We reduce eye contact when we are talking about something shameful or embarrassing, when we are sad or depressed, and when we are accessing internal thoughts or emotions.

• We increase eye contact when dealing with people we like, admire, or who have power over us. In more intense or intimate conversations we naturally look at each another more often and hold that gaze for longer periods of time. In fact, we judge relationships by the amount of eye contact exchanged: the greater the eye contact, the closer the relationship.

• Females look more at those they are talking to than do males. That’s one of the reasons women prefer a face-to-face conversation, while men are content to talk standing side-by-side.

• We avoid eye contact in elevators, subways, crowded buses or trains – in elevators we face the door, in the others we stare at our Smartphones – because it helps us manage the insecurity of having our personal space invaded. Waiters may avoid eye contact to send customers the signal, “I’m too busy to deal with you right now.” Employees often keep their eyes down when the boss appears with a tricky question or looks like he’s going to ask for volunteers.

• The biggest body language myth about liars is that they avoid eye contact. While some liars (most often, children) find it difficult to lie while looking directly at you, many liars, especial the most brazen, actually overcompensate to “prove” that they are not lying by making too much eye contact and holding it too long.

• If a speaker actively seeks out eye contact when talking, he or she is judged to be more believable, confident and competent.

Eye contact is so powerful a force because it is connected with humans’ earliest survival patterns. Children who could attract and maintain eye contact, and therefore increase attention, had the best chance of being fed and cared for. Today, newborns instinctively lock eyes with their caregivers. And the power of that infantile eye contact still retains its impact on the adult mind. Whether it’s shifty-eyed guilt or wide-eyed innocence, we automatically assign enormous credence to the signals we give and get when we look into each other in the eyes.

via Fascinating Facts About Eye Contact.

Fascinating Facts About Eye Contact

Impress In Less Than 2 Minutes

Famously, the elevator pitch is that big chance you get to sell your company, product, service or even yourself in just one or two minutes.

This kind of opportunity won’t always arise – the biggest organisations in particular tend to use strict selection processes and procedures to choose their clients.

But that does not mean that the principle of the elevator pitch should be completely ignored or discarded. Thinking about how to deliver your message in an effective way that goes straight to the heart of the matter can be a very useful and rewarding exercise. Whether you’re going for a job interview or a client pitch, this can be of great value to you.

Here are a few principles to keep in mind.

Simplicity

In my experience too many pitches – whether they are ‘elevator’ style or presentations – get bogged down in overly complicated language or rely far too heavily on eye-catching graphics. There have been times when entrepreneurs pitched to me for investment and I had to stop them after a while because what they were saying wasn’t making any real sense. Some investors may let them continue in this manner and then turn them down, but I always believe in giving entrepreneurs a chance to show what they can do. Therefore I tell them to cut out the unnecessary jargon and tell me things in a business-like yet simple way. You want to sound professional but there are ways to do this without boring people.

Do your research

Keeping it simple should not be an excuse for not doing your research. Even if your elevator pitch is supposed to be short and snappy, you don’t want to get caught out afterwards with a question you don’t know the answer to. Be prepared and know who you are pitching to. As well as ensuring you are ready for any questions you may be asked afterwards, this means you can tailor your pitch to suit the audience.

Sell with subtlety

Remember that whilst an elevator pitch is a tool to sell the best aspects of you or your business, it doesn’t need to be aggressive or over the top. All you want to do is generate enough interest to pique their interest. Explain the essence of what you are pitching and then clearly demonstrate the differentiator. There should always be a unique selling point, or if you are going for a job interview, a clear value-add. This is basically your hook which will make or break the success of your elevator pitch.

Some people don’t really think about the concept of an elevator pitch until the opportunity comes along. But if you can set aside half an hour at some point and just think about what you would include in your elevator pitch, it can have huge benefits. If nothing else, it will allow you to take a step away and think about what sets you apart from the competition and what sort of image you want to project.

via Impress In Less Than 2 Minutes | LinkedIn.

Impress In Less Than 2 Minutes

Master the art of the perfect handshake

A person’s handshake says worlds about them, and the handshake is a major factor in the way each participant thinks about the other.

Before delving into some great handshake “how to” advice, let’s consider mistakes to avoid.

Inept handshakes

Limp: A limp handshake gives the impression of being weak. I think that it goes without saying that the limp shake is a dud. What’s the point of shaking hands in the first place if it’s just going to be a limp experience anyhow?

Too Much Shake: A handshake with too much shake can come across as annoying, inappropriate, and socially inept.

The Finger Grabber: Have you ever shaken hands with a person and instead of properly interlocking their hands with yours they only clasped your fingers? I hate that one; it’s weird.

Dominator handshakes

Then there types of people that take advantage of the handshake as an opportunity to establish their domination.

The Arm Wrestler: The way that “arm wrestler” hand shakers operate is by trying to get their hand on top of the other persons, either by extending their hand with their palm facing downward initially so that the other person will be “pinned”‘ from the get-go, or by finagling their hand on top after the initial contact. The “arm wrestler” handshake seems immature and doesn’t inspire friendship; it simply says that the perpetrator is trying to play mind games with you. I tend to avoid these people the most.

Overbearing: Although someone who squeezes just a little too hard might just be trying too hard to do it right, they give off the impression of being overbearing and aggressive.

The right way to do it

Now that we have established a few of the wrong ways to shake a hand, let’s look deeper into best handshake practices.

Eye contact: This displays confidence and establishes a personal connection.

Firm clasp: This also displays confidence and establishes a personal connection.

Speak during the handshake: Saying something as simple as, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, John Doe,” goes a long way. It brings the physical handshake to a new level, adding verbal and emotional elements to the process.

Use your left hand too (optional): Using your left hand to touch the shoulder or double clasp the handshake makes the experience a more intimate one. Do this only if the intimacy will be appreciated.

Time it right: A good shake lasts about 1.5 to 2 seconds. Letting go too early can make it appear that you are not interested in the other person or are disgusted by them, which can be insulting. Continuing the handshake too long can appear intrusive. Getting the timing just right also depends on reading the social cues of the other person to decipher how long they hope to be hand-engaged with you.

Considering how much a handshake communicates about you—and how influential it can be in business, social, and personal relationships—it behooves you to practice getting your handshake just right.

via Master the art of the perfect handshake | Articles | Main.

Master the art of the perfect handshake

3 Simple Ways to Make a Good First Business Impression

At the end of a long day I remembered I was scheduled for a critical client meeting the next morning. I looked down at my scraggly, chipped nails. Oh no. This will not do.

Three to five seconds. That’s all it takes to make or break a first impression. You may remember how to make a positive impact on a personal level, but what about at your place of business?

There wasn’t time to get a manicure from my favorite nail salon across town, so I pulled into another salon near my house. I ran in and flopped into a vacant chair. And then I looked around. The salon was disgusting. Plastic palm trees and faded flower arrangements were covered in dust. Stacks of old magazines spilled onto the floors. Electrical wires dangled, mail was piled high, linoleum floors were grimey. I got a decent shellac French manicure, but for sure, I was not coming back. I thought: This is a business designed purely for the purpose of helping people look their best. They sterilize their tools of the trade (I hope), so why wouldn’t they invest in keeping the salon looking spiffy? Where was the design and planning?

The look and feel of your business speaks volumes. Real estate professionals invest in “curb appeal” because it brings in buyers. You’ve no doubt seen neglected establishments. Run-down restaurants. Dumpy dentist offices. Lifeless lobbies. There are countless television shows now dedicated to the renovation of these establishments. Here are three things every business should check before the first customer walks in the door:

1. Keep customer touchpoints spotless.

A clean office or store says, “We care about quality.” Eliminate any sign of neglect or laziness. Wash windows. Sweep floors. Vacuum carpet. Keep the restroom tidy and fresh, for goodness sake! Even if your office doesn’t attract retail foot traffic, you’re sending a message to employees and vendors. Don’t let dust bunnies stand between you and more revenue.

2. Add color to customer surroundings.

Adding a pop of color to your business location can create a positive and welcoming look and feel. Home sellers plant flowers. Creative agencies flaunt bold furniture. Tech startups paint bright walls. Hospitals use soothing pastels. Use colors and design to make a statement about your brand and attract the right customers without saying a word.

3. Minimize furniture and other accessories–declutter.

It doesn’t matter what type of business you own. The owner of our favorite Szechuan restaurant kept it clean but used a table in the dining room as her “office.” It got worse and worse, and I wasn’t surprised when her clientele dwindled and she eventually closed. Apparel stores with merchandise all over the floor. Offices with paperwork piled high. Cardboard boxes, outdated magazines, knick-knacks, office supplies, and other stuff that sits in plain view of customers. It’s not only distracting, it’s disrespectful to patrons.

Three to five seconds to make an impression that can last a lifetime. There are far too many options for customers and their loyalty is fleeting. Keep customers focused on what you’re selling, and not what you’re stockpiling.

via 3 Simple Ways to Make a Good First Impression | Inc.com.

3 Simple Ways to Make a Good First Business Impression

What Your Interview Body Language Reveals About You

Poor body language can derail an interview regardless of how confident and well-spoken you are. Body language is as much a part of your communication style as what you say verbally – it’s really about how you say it. Impressions are made within seconds of reviewing body language.

Consider the first step to entering an interview – the handshake. While it may take less than 10 seconds to complete a handshake, in that time, the interviewer has already developed an impression of your character based on eye contact and the firmness of your shake.

A weak handshake and lack of eye contact can leave the impression you are timid and insecure. A sincere and firm handshake with eye contact expresses professionalism and confidence. An overpowering handshake with a fixed gaze may come across as overconfident and arrogant. So, be cautious with your next handshake and start the interview off with a positive impression.

In an interview, body language is present from head-to-toe. Consider the following:

Posture

Whether you are sitting or standing, your posture projects a level of confidence and engagement in the conversation. When one slumps, it implies to the interviewer a lack of confidence and interest. Sitting stiff as a rock implies nervousness and it creates an uncomfortable situation for building rapport. Sitting at the tip of the chair implies you don’t want to be there.

Lying back on the chair with your ankle on top of your other knee may come off appearing unprofessional and too relaxed. In general, crossing your arms and legs may be interpreted as building a barrier.

To project professionalism, confidence, and engagement, consider sitting on the chair with your lower back touching or close to the back panel while leaning 10 degrees forward. Keep your hands relaxed in your lap and feet grounded on the floor. When standing, avoid crossing your arms or placing them in your pockets. The point is to project a balanced posture that is not limp or overly stiff.

Eye Contact

Eye contact allows you and the interviewer to connect beyond words alone. However, there is a fine balance between good eye contact and when eye contact becomes a weird gaze or stare that can make the other person feel uncomfortable. When you stare without having breaks in between, a casual conversation can come across as a lecture.

Whether you are listening or speaking, maintain eye contact with your interviewer for a couple of seconds at a time (no more than 7 to 10 seconds) and then glance away before returning eye contact again. If you are looking down to take notes, look up occasionally, especially when it appears a special point is being made or when you are asked a question.

Voice

Speed, tone, and pitch combined presents an impression. Talking too fast can be hard to understand and appear as nervousness. When your tone projects apology or defense, you can come across as unconfident and insecure. When you don’t make changes between your tone and pitch, you can sound monotone, making it more difficult for the other person to stay engaged.

Learn to take control of your voice. If you are nervous, it can come across in your pitch, so take a breath to help you relax before speaking. Be conscious of your tone and pitch to offer variation and to help emphasize certain points.

Bobble Head

Some people have a tendency to bobble their head as a gesture of agreement, but when you nod in excess during a conversation, it becomes a distraction and can be interpreted as though you are agreeing on everything for the sake of wanting to please. You can lose credibility in such instances.

To avoid appearing like a bobble head, nod occasionally to show you are still engaged and have control over how you nod. You can also tilt your head slightly to the side as though you are trying to listen more carefully as another way to show you are engaged.

Extremities

There are people who do certain things out of habit, such as flaring arms while talking, twirling hair, playing with a pen in hand, rocking back and forth on a chair and shaking or thumping their feet. Many of these actions occur unconsciously, however, these are distractions to the person you are speaking to and may be perceived as signs you are bored or have trouble focusing. Some people also touch their nose or face frequently when they are nervous. An interviewer may perceive this as a sign you are not being totally honest.

Be conscious of what you do with your hands, legs and feet and that will help you take control of your movements.

Be aware of your own body language and also read your interviewer’s body language to give you hints about how she is responding to you. The interview may start off very formal, but as you both become acquainted with one another, the mood may relax and you may adapt your body language to reflect what you sense from the interviewer.

There is no absolute rule around body language, but it would be wise to avoid any chance of being misinterpreted. You can properly prepare your body language before heading into an interview by watching yourself in the mirror act out how you introduce yourself and speak. Another helpful way is to have someone interview you and video record the entire session. Review how you present yourself and become aware of problem areas to adjust before your interview.

via What Your Interview Body Language Reveals About You | CAREEREALISM.

What Your Interview Body Language Reveals About You

Body Language Mistakes You"re Making During Interviews

An interview is something that should help you to highlight your strong suits. The problem is that a lot of people put an emphasis on the bad parts without even realizing it. Body language can turn out to be a huge problem. If it is incorrect or you make some of the mistakes that we will highlight below, you drastically reduce the chances of being hired.

Most people think that the only thing that counts is what they answer to the questions asked by the interviewer. This is completely incorrect. The representative of the company will take a look at your body language, the way you are dressed, how you react to the questions and a whole lot more. Having a proper body language will help you to come up as being serious and more suited for the job you apply for.

Without further ado, let us focus on these really common body language mistakes that people usually make.

1. Improper Body Position

When you lean back, you come off as arrogant. When you lean forward, you are seen as aggressive. When you slouch, you are labeled as lazy. All experts agree that you need to sit tall. Your spine needs to be straight and perpendicular to the floor, as if you had a string connected between the ceiling and your head.

2. Crossing Your Arms

One of the first things that you learn in drama and oratory is that when your arms are crossed, you send out a signal of resistance. You automatically put yourself in a defensive position as if you want to cut out everything. Remember that you will seem to be a lot more approachable when your arms are open and on the sides.

3. Too Much Nodding

There are many different ways to say that you agree with a person. How about saying YES? The person that keeps nodding will not look great in an interview. This is something that is often seen in women.

When we wanted to hire someone to take care of the editorial process at Xpert Money, one of the candidates nodded so much that we had to politely ask her to stop doing that as it was too distracting and it is not in her best interest. Other interviewers will not say anything. Just nod one or two times and keep a smile on your face. It is enough to let the other person see that you understood.

4. Pointing And Chopping Motions

When you are little you are told that it is not polite to point. The same thing is true when you are in an interview but for a different reason. When you use chopping or pointing motions, you exhibit aggressiveness. The space between the interviewer and you is cut in a way that is perceived as being aggressive. Instead, use smaller motions and remember to keep the arms open.

5. Hands Behind Your Back

As you already figured out from above, during an interview you need to appear as if you are open and completely approachable. Gestures need to be controlled and your hands need to remain still. That is very important when you are asked a question and you start to respond. Hands that are placed behind the back or in pockets will instantly inhibit natural movement. This makes you look stiff. In today’s working environment nobody wants to work with someone that is stiff.

6. You Are Fidgeting

There are so many mentions about this and people still do it. It is one of the clear signs that you feel anxious and that you are nervous. The bad part is that the interviewer will end up distracted by your fidgeting. The impression that you leave is you jingling with coins inside the pockets or whatever gesture you make.

7. Your Face Shows Something Else Than Your Mouth Says

When your tone does not match the facial expression, you will be in trouble. For instance, one of the really common interview questions is: “What are you passionate about?” If you start talking about what you are passionate but your face is blank, it will definitely not look great. It will appear as if you are saying lies and you do not want to come up like that.

Make sure that you do not block your emotions. These are pure and the interviewer loves to see honest reactions. They make you seem human and a person that would be a pleasure to work with. We once hired a man that did not have so much experience but the passion that he had was so strong that we were sure he would learn everything in a short period of time. That is what he did.

8. Lack Of Eye Contact Or Breaking Eye Contact

Many articles that offer tips and tricks for interviews will talk about eye contact. You thus come to the interview prepared to have that eye contact since you know that it is great. Then, you are asked a question that is not comfortable. You then break eye contact in order to avoid something or to gain more time. You were just busted and the interviewer realized that the eye contact was only for show.

The person in the interview chair should not stare but holding the gaze of an interviewer for just one more second while answering can be really powerful. As an extra tip, make sure that you make eye contact when you shake hands.

Go through all that was mentioned above. Be honest with yourself. Try to avoid all the mistakes that are common and do your best to come up as yourself. You do not need to be someone else in the eyes of the interviewer. He/she only wants to be sure that you have the proper qualifications and you are driven enough to want to do the job well. If you manage to transmit this through your body language, you clearly increase the chances of being hired.

 

via Body Language Mistakes You’re Making During Interviews | CAREEREALISM.

Body Language Mistakes You"re Making During Interviews

Why Happy People Get 2nd Interviews [INFOGRAPHIC]

The average person spends more time working than any other activity. Unfortunately, nearly 2 out of 3 workers surveyed in the US and Canada say they’re not happy at work.

The following infographic from our friends at Noomii explains WHY this is happening and what you can do to “turn that frown upside down” at work.

Takeaways:

• Happier people are more likely to get a 2nd interview


• Cheerful people at age 18 attained more at work and had higher job satisfaction as measured 8 years later


• Happy people miss fewer work days, they are also less likely to lose their jobs


• Increase your positivity by writing down 3 good things that happened in your life every day

Why Happy People Get 2nd Interviews [INFOGRAPHIC]

The 3 Minute Hire

Let’s look at how 95% of people are hired. Besides a little variability, almost every person, at some point in their career, has been hired in this manner. Interview someone for an hour. If you like them, you make them an offer. Sound about right? Sure you might actually add some other steps, like phone screening first, a second one hour interview with someone else, but your reality is, it’s an hour interview, and the decision is made!

We’ve taken the one hour interview and expanded it with science. We add pre-employment screens, cognitive testing, background screens, personality profiles, etc. But, we still go back to the one hour interview. “Well, Tim tested off the charts, all the data says, he will be a rock star, but I didn’t connect with him in the one hour interview. I don’t want to hire him.” We allow our hiring managers to do this, often.

A much better way to hire would be to have the actual candidate work with you for like four to six weeks, before you actually hire them. An extended job tryout. Pay them to come interview with you for 4 weeks. That would actually be a better way. It would probably limit your options for candidates. It would leave you with people who are unemployed, the under-employed, those working consultant or temporary type of jobs, or those people who love your brand so much they would be willing to risk it all to prove to you, that they are the one you really want.

Or, you can continue on the one hour interview platform. But take away all the other stuff. In fact, take away the one hour, and just do an initial impression interview. It might take about 3 minutes. “Initially I really liked Tim! Let’s do this.” You would virtually get the same exact candidate as you do with your one hour process. But you would save so much time, effort and resources. Your hiring quality and retention would almost remain unchanged. That would be the second way.

1. Extended Job Tryout Hire

2. 3 Minute First Impression Hire

Reality is, most would be more willing to do the 3 minute First Impression hires than the Extended Job Tryout hires, even though one leads to actual better hires, and the other does exactly what you have now. We fear that changing to something we view as ‘radical’ will be worse than what we have. Even though, we know it won’t. So, we keep doing what we do. Scheduling one hour interviews and hiring those people who we ‘felt’ the best connection with.

If I was you, I’d go with the 3 minute interview. It’s simple. It’s the same. Your hiring managers will actually like the new process.

via The 3 Minute Hire « The Tim Sackett Project.

The 3 Minute Hire

34 Tips for Your Next Job Interview

Next time you go to a job interview – try to remember some of these tips!

CollegeAtlas.org have collected 34 of the most important in the infographic below.

Takeaways:

• 38% of people don’t smile during a job interview – this is a mistake!

• First impressions are 55% decided by the way you dress, act and walk through the door.

• Don’t try to be all things needed – no-one’s perfect!

via 34 Tips You Must Remember for Your Next Job Interview.

34 Tips for Your Next Job Interview