Well, first of all, congratulations on getting that so wanted job interview! You now have a lot of work ahead of you in order to ace your job interview.
Wondering how to impress at your job interview and land your dream job?
Most interviewers will solely judge you based on your interview performance and not on your competencies for the job.
That is why your interview has to be perfected. Some people are naturally good at interviews and others aren’t. But this can be fixed with a little practise and rehearsing.
Below, you will find tips to make a lasting good impression during the interview that you must avoid during the job interview.
Before the interview,
- Learn the job description, take note of the keywords, see if your experiences, competencies and skills match the description and starting writing down questions about the job.
- Research the company, its selection process, its values, its recent projects and collaborations, its locations… Going prepared will give you a competitive advantage.
- Rehearse the interview at home (in front of the mirror if you have to) in order to adapt your phrases, expressions and to feel more confident on D day.
- Be hygienic and dress appropriately but be comfortable in your clothes. Walk in your new shoes weeks before the interview and when in doubt, wear a tailored suit. If you know the company’s dress code, make sure you look like you will definitively fit in.
- Get rid of loud physical appearances like tattoos and piercing. Interviewers judge you on your appearance and will instantly evaluate of you will fit in or not.
- Be punctual to the interview. Arrive 15 minutes early to the interview so you can take time to make an opinion of the ororganizationganozation and build up your confidence for the open position. If you were late, apologize profusely.
During the interview,
- Walk into the room confidently, smile, shake hands firmly while looking in the eye and sit when invited to.
- Keep a positive body language and eye contact. Some interviewers think of themselves as expert psychiatrists and will analyze your every gesture to see if you will fit into their corporate culture.
- Be polite and respectful to everyone that you cross roads with in the building. You never know who can influence the hiring decision and if you work there in the future, you don’t want to offence anyone from the get go.
- Communicate effectively and actively. The interviewer will wonder about your normal reactions, will place you in a hypothetical situation with their clients and will verify if you can hold a conversation.
- Be yourself and don’t cheat on your personality. Interviewers have to roughly judge whether you will fit in or not.
- Always speak positively about your previous employers. Under no circumstances, you must complain about your previous employees: you will see this as an opportunity to vent and gain some sympathy (am I right?) but your interviewers will view you as canniving, disloyal and a whiner. If you have had bad past experiences, twist them inot positives. For example,
- Speak about money only if your interviewers introduce the subject themselves. Don’t complain about your finances.
At the end of the job interview,
- Ask questions at the end of the interview to better seize up the project and the company.
- Ask what is the next step of this interviewing process.
After the interview,
- Send a thank you email. You can add your resume and questions about the offer to show your interest and motivation.
- Wait 48 hours before sending an email to get an update on whether you’ve been selected or not.
- Keep scores and records of the interview with the results, specifics and impressions of the interview.
Hope that I’ve helped you get it together on your way to leadership!
Don’t forget to like, share and leave a comment below.
Journey To Leadership retains and shares the tips for the workplace.
Journey To Leadership is the premier source for everything Leadership. It focuses on career advice, leadership and character development. Get the latest here!
Journey To Leadership is the premier source for everything Leadership. It focuses on career advice, leadership and character development. Get the latest here!
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What a great post! I agree with everything stated and inform the younger ones, my kids & nephews, what the process should be like. Will definitely direct them here 🙂
Thank you Sweet Coralice!
Sending a Thank You mail! I should do that whatever the result is, thanks for sharing:)
I cannot imagine going to a job interview and not doing what you’ve written. Great points and I feel like its so important to have a good first impression!
The first impression can go a long way in corporate! Thank you for commenting!
These are all great. I always get so nervous, I think I come across as incoherent. Need to practice in front of the mirror more.
Thank you hcates43! Gain more confidence in your knowledge, in your strengths, stay positive and practise your voice tone and facial gestures in front of a mirror! Sometimes, the interviewer is the one feeling incoherent!
Great tips! Interviews can be so daunting but they’re much less scary when you’ve prepared!
Thank you! Preparation is key!
These are great tips…I read somewhere that a person will form an impression about you within 30 seconds of meeting you so dressing professionally and being confident is important!
Being the best and most proper version of yourself is very important during an interview! Interviews are all about performing! Thank you Kaitlynn for commenting!
This is really helpful! Thank you!
My pleasure! Thank you for commenting!
I agree with your point about researching the company you are interviewing with. It’s important that you show the company you know who they are and their overall mission is about. Really good points!
Thank You Jennifer! I noticed that candidates score more points when they are knowledgeable of the company they are applying for.
I believe it! I remember one time I applied for a retail management position after graduating college and I made the mistake of not researching the company. It was a lesson well learned to do my homework before an interview!
Not researching the company is a telltale sign that you are not interested in the company but in just having a job for the money!
Yeah, that wasn’t why I didn’t do my research. I was fresh out of college and didn’t know that was what I should have done. I was interested in the company, I just needed a refresher on interview skills.
Great tips, these, but as I’m self employed I am so glad I won’t ever have to go through the stressful experience of attending a job interview again!
Thanks Elizabeth! Practise takes the stress out of the experience. Job interviews become more of a performance.
Hi Jennifer, thank you for coming back to my blog. I didn’t mean that you weren’t interested in the company. I meant from the interviewer’s point of view, it was a telltale sign of your disinterest in their company.
My son has many friends that are out of college and looking for their first big jobs. We talk to them a lot about interviewing that every tip you gave is so important. It is difficult to stand out from other applicants so your advice to “be yourself and don’t cheat on your personality” is a great one to keep in mind.
Absolutely. Interviews are like dating, are more about seducing the interviewers and wisely promoting yourself. Being yourself from the get go is so important because the interviewer has to determine whether or not you will “fit in”, you will adapt to the environment. Therefore, don’t cheat on yourself or else you will pay the price. Thank you for commenting!
Such an information post – great information and great tips!
Thank TheMrsTee for commenting!