If you want to make a good first impression in a job interview, then you have to learn how to sell yourself and your services. Show enthusiasm for the job and you will get the interviewer excited about hiring you. Remember that if you don’t show some enthusiasm for your qualifications, then the interviewer won’t show any enthusiasm for hiring you. These interviewing tips will help you make a strong first impression in your interview and give you a better chance at landing the job.
Table of contents
1. Be professional at all times
The most important part of trying to sell yourself to an interviewer is remaining professional at all times. That means from the moment you are greeted by the receptionist until the end of the interview, you are pleasant, courteous, and professional. If you are easy to talk to at the interview, then that is a huge plus in your favour.
2. Look the part
Not only should you act professional, but you should also look professional as well. When it comes to your interview apparel, you can make a positive or negative impression. To make a positive impression, you should dress in neutral colours, avoid flashy jewellery and also avoid perfume and cologne. Ensure that your outfit is clean, pressed and professional, and you’re sure to make a strong first impression.
3. Be prepared
The only way the interviewer is going to take you seriously is if you show that you take the interview seriously. That means spending days, possibly a week or two, preparing answers to common interview questions and making sure that you know the company inside and out. The interviewer will have questions that they use to determine just how much you have prepared for the interview. If you want to sell the interviewer on your services, then show that you care about getting the job by being prepared.
4. Be helpful
When you show up to your interview, be sure that you have plenty of copies of your CV and references on hand in case they are needed. You should also bring your own blank pad of paper and a pen to save the interviewer the hassle of trying to find materials for you. Be as helpful as you can through the interview process and you will be on your way to selling yourself to the interviewer.
5. Be available
You should set aside several hours to do each interview because you can never be sure just how long an interview will go. If an interviewer likes you, then that interviewer may decide to have you speak with a departmental manager right then and there. If you want to sell yourself at the job interview, then you need to be ready to talk to anyone at any time.
6. Be confident
It’s safe to say that even the most experienced job seekers can feel some nerves prior to and during a job interview. It’s only natural to second guess yourself or be concerned that the interviewer will ask a question you cannot answer. However, no matter how apprehensive you feel, you need to show confidence. Look at the interview as a simple conversation, just one hour to mask your nervousness with confidence. Most often, once the interview begins, your nerves will settle down.
7. Word your answers carefully
The best way to be prepared for an interview is to rehearse. This can be done in a few ways. You can ask a friend or family member to help you perform a mock interview. Or, you can simply rehearse by yourself and record your answers to typical interview questions. Being prepared will allow you to have at least some of the answers in your mind and cut down on you repeatedly saying, “Umm” at the start of each answer. Listen to your answers and the tone of your voice. You want to sound optimistic and excited versus monotone, boring and uninterested.
8. Be able to admit what you don’t know
A piece of great advice to help you sell yourself to an interviewer is to give your answers in short and concise sentences. Along with keeping your answers brief, you should also be able to admit when you do not know the answer to a question. The interviewer would much rather hear you say that you would like the opportunity to get back to them with a good answer than hear you stumble over the information you will make up. You should begin the process of preparing to make a good first impression at a job interview before you even enter the building. If you prepare with answers to common interview questions for your industry, strong examples from your past professional experience and a great attitude, you’ll be ready to impress your hiring manager before you meet them.
9. Keep appropriate body language
No hiring manager would even consider a job candidate who fails at appropriate body language. As you are seated at the interview, take a moment to consider your body language. This includes bad sitting posture. Are you slumped or fidgety in the chair? Are you looking down and avoiding eye contact with the interviewer? It is important to keep good posture and make eye contact. You want to be viewed as confident during the interview. Poor body language may reflect you as uninterested.
10. Stand out from the competition
You need to devise a way to be memorable. Is there something specific about the company that grabbed your attention and is the driving factor to you wanting to work there? Perhaps at the end of the interview, you ask specific questions pertaining to a project they are working on, one that you can relate to a recent work experience. You must find a way to be interested and interesting enough to stand out among other candidates. Before you attend an interview, be prepared to impress the hiring manager enough to want to invite you for a second interview or offer you the position.
