If you’re currently preparing for an interview for the job of your dreams, there’s a high chance that you’re currently crying a little inside, because you know the importance of making a great first impression. Yep, as much as we’re told to remember to ‘not judge a book by its cover,’ hiring managers don’t have the time or the energy to read a whole book to form a coherent judgment and follow it up with a 2000-word essay. It just doesn’t work like that. Instead, they need to be able to make an impression about your work ethic and your character both before your interview and during, which means you sometimes only have minutes to make your mark. So, if you want to stop crying, check out these 7 ways to impress hiring managers in the first 5 minutes…
Turn up early
There really is no better way to crush your chances of landing your dream job than by turning up late, on time, or even exactly on time. It’s a tough gig. To prove that you are eager for the job but not too desperate, you need to ensure that you arrive around 10-15 minutes early. Any more or less and you lose your chance to impress.
Remember your manners
It’s always important to remember your manners when you step into the building of your interview. Just because you’re seeing the hiring manager doesn’t mean you can be rude or nonchalant with others in the building – especially as some hiring managers often get the lowdown from receptionists and assistants after you have left. Make a positive impact, y’all.
Make eye contact
Eye contact is a whole heap of funny business. While some people feel like they’re staring into the soul of a person, others think about how creepy eyeballs are in general (yuck), which mean they can be put off looking people directly in the eye. However, you need to leave that weirdness behind throughout the duration of your interview, as making eye contact shows your intelligence and your social skills.
Ensure you have a strong handshake
Let’s be honest; nobody likes to shake a hand that feels like a wet fish – which means your hiring manager won’t like it either. It shows weakness, laziness, and an air that you just don’t care about a thing (especially your handshake). So, ensuring you have a strong handshake will show the hiring manager that you have the ability to both verbally and non-verbally communicate what you want to say.
Engage in small talk
Small talk is something we all have to deal with on a weekly basis, and most of the time we just can’t be bothered to talk about the weather one more darn time. However, small talk is often used as a pre-interview technique before your interview really gets going. Hiring managers try to gauge what you’re like with free reign on the conversation, which means that you have to be friendly and engage in small talk. We know you can do it.
Take extra copies of your resume
When you applied for the job, you sent over a digital copy of your resume – so why do you need to send another? Well, taking a hard copy for the hiring manager to physically look at is a great way to see that you’re motivated, and taking one for yourself is a great way to point out your achievements.
Ask questions
Every single interviewer on the planet will ask whether you have any questions for them at the end of the interview, and instead of shaking your head, you need to ask them a question! Asking about their company, the position or the job itself will help you to show the hiring manager that you are motivated.
Of course, we all want to impress hiring managers when we go to an interview, but did you know these 7 ways are the most impressive? Now get your suit, grab your resumes, and boss that interview!
