An "impression" is the total impact a person makes by his or her posture, manner of dress, way of speaking, confidence, and other intangible factors. It does not rely on any one element, but is the effect of all factors working together to communicate power. Pay attention to the impression you make and people will pay attention to you.
"It's tough to anticipate how an applicant will work out if hired; experience and degrees don't tell the full story. In the end, I usually rely on how the person presents herself or himself in the interview. It's in the way they dress, the questions they ask, their willingness to challenge what I say and present new ideas, and their interest in making a contribution."
It is tough to put yourself on the line for an interview. An inner voice chips away at your self-confidence. You feel like a person wrongly accused of a crime approaching a hostile judge. Butterflies in your stomach, a high-pitched squeaky voice stuck in your throat, hands that don't know what to do, heart palpitations, sweaty palms, and wobbly legs: All these are symptoms of the fear of rejection.
Ten Ways to Restore Calm
1. Dress so that you feel successful. The right clothing and accessories are an investment that pays off handsomely in increased positive responses from employers.
2. Know more about the employer than the employer knows about you. Knowledge is an antidote to anxiety. Lessen your fear of the unknown by being thoroughly prepared.
3. Simplify the process. There are only five things you need to accomplish in the first interview:
O Find out what the employer needs.
O Communicate clearly what you can contribute.
O Be prepared to answer questions about your experience and education.
O Get feedback and meet possible objections.
O Push toward the next stage of negotiations.
4. Remember, employers want to hire. Remind yourself that employers need qualified people, and you are one of them.
5. Create a mental picture of yourself operating at peak performance.
Before to every interview, take time to imagine yourself making a great impression.
6. Practice with friends. Find people to role-play the interview with you and give you feedback. Practice answering the tough questions.
7. Make notes to help yourself. List the main points you want to make and the questions you want to ask on 3" x 5" index cards to consult during the interview.
8. You're nervous. Admit it, A little stage fright is expected at an interview. It is more difficult to pretend you're not scared than to admit that you are.
9. Give yourself enough room and time, Prepare the day before and make a short list of points to review just prior to the interview. Get a good night's sleep. Get to the interview location early and walk around the block to reduce stress. Arrive at the reception area ten minutes prior to your interview. Use the time to visualize again the powerful impression you will make.
10. Breathe. You are most effective with a relaxed mind and body. Take a moment to think between questions and answers, breathe slowly, and speak precisely.
The adage "You never get a second chance to make a first impression" is true. How you look, how you sound, how you respond will frame your relationship with the interviewer. Every meeting starts with a greeting. When your interviewer arrives in the reception area, rise (leave your belongings where they are), take two or three steps forward, look directly at your interviewer, extend your hand, smile, say hello, and introduce yourself. Remember the interviewer's name. When invited, get your things and follow briskly to the interview room. If a secretary or clerical person meets you in the lobby, accord them the same respect you would the interviewer.
On entering the office, look for a convenient place to hang your coat and put your briefcase. Wait for the interviewer to indicate where you should sit.
Keep your body posture relaxed but not slouched. Do not smoke, even if you are invited to do so. Three to five minutes of small talk is expected. If there is something in the office that is interesting or special (a piece of artwork, a great view, an unusual library), comment on it.
Get the interviewer to speak first by asking an open question: "How is the business doing?" or ''What attracted you to this company?" Listen to what he or she says.
"Can I Get You Something to drink?" The interviewer may offer you a soda or coffee. If you are too nervous to balance a steaming cup of coffee, ask for water or juice. If the offer seems only pro forma say, ''Thank you, but not now." Don't ask for refreshments if they're not offered, even if your interviewer has some. If the beverage offer is made when you are well into the interview, take this as a sign that things are going well and accept.
Rapport is a feeling of mutual trust between you and the interviewer that allows for openness and a free flow of information. Once rapport is established, the interview will become a more interactive conversation about possibilities rather than a simple series of questions and answers.
How to build rapport
- See the interviewer as a person, not a function. Speak to her as you would to a colleague.
- Address the interviewer formally and, if invited, by her first name. Use the name of the department or company in conversation as often as you can.
- Ask how much time has been allotted for the interview. Remind the interviewer when there are five or ten minutes left and ask for more time if you need it.
- Speak the interviewer's language. Personnel interviewers may not know all of the jargon of the position. Use lay terms if the interviewer is not familiar with technical terms.
- Demonstrate that you are listening. Physical gestures (nodding, facial expressions, etc.) communicate awareness. When something is not clear, ask the interviewer for clarification.
- Reflect on what the interviewer tells you and indicate that you understand it:
Candidate: "I see you are willing to give people responsibility and authority. This was rare in some organizations where I've been associated. Could you give me a picture of how this works? How frequently would I need to report results to my manager?
- Relax. Be yourself. Laugh or express amazement or surprise where appropriate. Overuse of slang, however, may create too casual an impression.
- Elicit feedback. "Am I giving you the information you need?" or "Was that clear?"
- Be personable, but not overly familiar. People want to know what interests and excites you, but be careful to avoid political or controversial social topics. If the interviewer is promoting more social chatter than is necessary, deftly steer the interview back on track with a question about the job.
Pay attention to the body language of your interviewer. If she leans forward attentively while making some points, do that too. When she says, "We are very concerned that the department doesn't become too rigid," you could say: "I understand that you don't want the department to become rigid, and I would want to keep people working together flexibly." If your interviewer speaks in measured tones, you should pace yourself accordingly. (Once you have paced successfully, you can lead by slowly changing the tone or energy if you wish, but start by matching.) Keep the mirroring subtle; use a light touch.
If your body and voice tone are in harmony with the inter viewer's style, communication is furthered. Don't get so carried away that you are mimicking her, but do stay conscious of non verbal dynamics.
- Talking too much. Answer each question, putting yourself in a positive light, and then look to the interviewer to see if she wants more. Avoid long stories about yourself.
- Being competitive with the interviewer. There's a thin line between promoting and pushing your position.
- Speaking negatively about past employers or others. If the employer asks a question about policies you disagreed with in past jobs, you can say frankly, "I don't think was handled as well as it could have been." Don't dramatize the negative.
- Expressing neediness. Employers do not hire people because they need jobs.
Employer Insight
''There's a funny dynamic I've noticed, and that's the tendency people have to give me reasons for not hiring them, although that's not their real intention. They express reservations about little problems that can be overcome-"I think I could learn to do that" or" I've never done that before, but I'm willing to try." I would advise them to accent the positive, your objective in controlling the interview is to show the inter viewer you are a results-oriented person and to ensure that your presentation holds the interviewer's interest. Here are some methods to control the interview:
- Have an agenda. Know in advance what main points you want to convey.
- Prepare an index card. On one side, list five important things you want to make sure the employer learns about you, and on the other side list five powerful questions you want to ask. Refer to the card during the interview.
- Step in when the interview seems to be going in the wrong direction. An interviewer who talks too much about irrelevancies is wasting valuable time you need to convey your key selling points.
"Could you please give me more specifics about the duties?"
"What are the advantages of your products over the competitions?"
"May I go over my resume with you?"
"What additional information can I give you?"
"Which qualities or capabilities do you consider most important for this position?"
Organizations are constantly pressed for new solutions in almost every aspect of their business: in productivity, innovation, global solutions, increased quality control, customer service, personnel management. They will pay special attention to you if your commitment, imagination, and energy level can be directed to their larger needs or strategies.
O If you know your field well, you might detect some rigid or old-fashioned thinking. Without threatening, challenge the way the job is structured and suggest new ways of working that could be more productive.
O If you've been out of work or between jobs too long, or if you've taken time to rear a child or engage in some entrepreneurial activity that failed, do not hide behind ambiguous or apologetic language. Be proud of what you've done. Talk about your experience and how it could be helpful in the upcoming job.
o If you've worked in an area different from your present job target or held one position too long, point out how this filled a need at the time, but that now you are committed to moving ahead. No apology necessary.
Your first goal is to project a picture of success and excitement in the mind of the interviewer. You want the interviewer to see you in the job getting it done in new ways. Ask about the future with questions such as: "How do you envision this department over the next three years?" or "Where do you see this department in the firm's future? "Or ''Given how quickly the industry is changing, what is your view of your future product line?"
Your clothes, posture, grooming, attitude, voice level, etc., are often more revealing than your words. Dress as someone already successful in the job would dress for an important meeting. If you are entering the job market for the first time, notice how people in organizations you visit are dressed. Review newspaper fashion supplements or business publications. Ask friends with good fashion sense how you can look your best.
- Quality clothes that are cleaned and pressed and fit well
- Shoes that are polished, mid-heeled, and preferably black
- A haircut within two weeks
- Manicured nails
- Minimal and discreet jewelry. Men: watches and wedding rings only; no necklaces, earrings, or ID bracelets. Women: no dangling earrings or clinking charm bracelets.
- Classic, not trendy, styles: not too sexy, not too plain
- Subtle perfume or aftershave
- Fabric: Stick with natural fibers-wool, silk, cotton
- Color: Wear power colors. Women: red, navy, gray, or black suits. Pastels are for out of office and brown is out of the question. Men: navy blue or charcoal gray suits; white shirts; conservative ties.
- Hair and makeup: Keep your hair under control and out of your face. Makeup should be low-key.
- In your pre-interview role plays, have your "employer/representative" prepare several eight-to-ten-line statements that might be made in an interview. Ask her to deliver them to you verbatim during the mock interview, stopping arbitrarily to ask you to repeat what's just been said as precisely as you can.
- As you listen make distinctions between statements and questions.
Interviewer: "We want to hire people who have had direct experience with federal agencies."
You: "I understand."
Interviewer: "Do you have experience with federal agencies?"
You: "Yes. I've worked closely with municipalities? And I know this experience could be helpful to you,"
When listening, ask yourself: "What's the main point?" If you are having trouble discerning it, ask the speaker for clarification.
Positive energy counts. However, Rachel Hott, communications trainer for the American Management Association, notes: "Don't jar people with your excitement; mirror their style first, and then lead them slowly to more enthusiasm or ask a provocative question. Don't assume that because a person is not expressing enthusiasm she isn't listening. Their way of saying yes might be subtle."
Reduce social banter. If the socializing has gone on too long, ask a question that gets the interview back on track. Avoid arguments. If the employer says something you don't agree with, simply acknowledge the employer's position by saying: "I understand how you feel about that."
