6 Ways to Make a Great Interview First Impression - Hire Imaging

6 Ways to Make a Great Interview First Impression - Hire Imaging It’s certainly important to do research on the potential employer interviewing you. It’s equally important to ponder and practice what you’ll ask and say. But if you flub the first few minutes with a poor impression via your appearance or body language, it’s sometimes hard to come back. So, how can you wow them from the get-go? Lead with your manner. People often read your attitude immediately. Make a conscious choice about the mindset you want to communicate. Friendly, receptive, patient, approachable, welcoming, and curious attitudes are attractive. Those that are impatient, bored, arrogant, fearful, or distrustful are not. Rise up. Your body language is more than a reflection of your feelings; it’s an influencer on them. Project confidence and credibility by standing up straight, pulling your shoulders back, and holding your head high. This positioning by itself will actually make you feel more self-assured. Smile. A genuine smile is so welcoming! It tells others that you are pleasant and approachable. It influences how other people respond to you. Research shows that a happy brain prefers a happy face. When you smile, it’s a natural response for the other person to smile back at you! Shake hands. This is the most successful and fastest way to establish rapport. Research shows that it takes an average of three hours of continuous interaction to develop the same level of rapport that you can get with one good handshake. Square your body off, facing that person fully. Use a firm (but not crushing) grip, with palm-to-palm contact. If you hold the other person’s hand a tad of a second longer than you might usually do, this conveys sincerity and holds the other person’s attention during the greeting. Make eye contact. Looking at someone eye-to-eye shows vitality, interest, and sincerity. You can enhance your eye contact in those first few seconds by looking into the interviewer’s eyes long enough to notice what color they are. Don’t feel you have to engage in a staring contest though! And if you’re uncomfortable staring at the other person’s eyes too long, you can look the interviewer squarely in the nose. Lean in just a bit. A great way to show that you’re interested and engaged is to lean forward with the small of your back against the chair. People naturally lean toward people we like and subjects we agree with. Just be aware to balance this leaning-forward posture with respect for the other person’s space. When interviewing, you can create a positive impression from the moment you walk in the door! I always love to hear from you! Please comment below.