We all know that first impressions count, right? Recent research by Day Novo Consulting has confirmed just that. Their “Interviewing In The 21st Century” survey revealed that a bad entrance is the single most important factor in interview failure. So much so that most interviewers have already made up their minds on a candidate in the first thirty seconds.
So, what can a mere mortal do to get past that first important milestone? We at Sneaky Business have sifted through our own extensive experience of interview success and failure to bring you our collective set of do’s and don’ts for making a great first impression.
* Check your appearance: An unsightly piece of spinach (typically in the teeth, or more worryingly elsewhere on your person), the coffee-stained shirt or disheveled tie can go a long way to diminishing your personal capital. Always check clothes, face and shoes before entering the interview room. Even better, if the chance arises to create a slight diversion (for example by commenting on the unusually hirsute appearance of the interviewer’s wife in his desk photo), you should also check once inside the interviewer’s office.
* Confirm the name / role / sex of your interviewer: Always confirm basic details before entering the interview. If one of the elements is unexpected try to not appear surprised, or even shocked. “Good God, you’re a man!” is a phrase that you will probably only get to use once.
* Greet the interviewer warmly but professionally: Greetings should be positive, sincere and culturally appropriate. “Pleased to meet you”, “It’s a pleasure to be here” and “Thanks for inviting me” are usually acceptable. It is critical to research the culture of both the company and the hiring manager before arriving. For example, Estonian investment bankers would expect a more forceful entrance along the lines of “The pleasure is all yours”. Southern European marketers may accept a brief kiss to the right cheek – never to the left (a sign of the Devil). And Finnish interviewers would expect a small, personal gift (always something homemade – never, never anything from a chain store).
* Remain calm – even under a blistering opening salvo of questions: Most interviewers will be more than happy to warm up the candidate before settling in to the meat of the discussion. However some individuals, and certain professions (such as web programmer), may favor the “Rolling Thunder” approach. Be prepared for hard-nosed openers such as “So, why should I spend thirty minutes of my time with you?” or “How on earth did you get through the screening process?”. Occasionally a trick question may be used to throw the candidate off balance. Leeward Stochs, an investment bank, often opens an interview by asking why the candidate is well qualified for a different role. McBainsey, a consultancy, will sometimes start questions in an foreign language such as Latvian to test the candidate’s response.
