A first impression is a big part of the interview process and probably more than most people think. Everyone gets a first impression when meeting someone and I guarantee you that the interviewer has one and will try to back that up throughout the interview. You can make a good impression at your interview by doing a little homework before the big day. This blog is short and to the point with some other links to assist you. I hope this helps!
Before every interview you need to do some homework and take it seriously; after all we don’t interview everyday.
Research the company and the job that you are interviewing for, like where the company has locations and how many employees work for the company. Learn about the products and services that they have to offer. Who is their competition and who are their customers? What is their business philosophy and know their history? You can find most of these things on their website.
The more you know about the company and the job you are applying for, the better you will appear in the interview. An interviewer will be impressed by your interest and motivation, and you won’t look stupid, which in today’s times you would if you were not prepared. There is a wealth of information out there because of the internet, but make sure you are reading credible information.
If you are working with a recruiter they will have plenty of insight to assist you. They most likely will be able to give you some information about who you will be meeting with and the format of the interview.
Make sure you have some good questions and to start the interview, you can read this article: The first question you should ask during an interview.
Bring several copies of your resume and make sure it is up to date.
Dress professionally. For more on this I have a video titled Dress attire for a Job Interview. You will be judged in some respects by what you wear. Dress conservatively and keep in mind that what you have on is a big part of that first impression.
For more on dress attire: No Flip Flops Please.
Today you will find more companies that have changed their dress attire. The norm used to be a suit and tie with a white pressed shirt and black polished shoes. Then it went to the sweater or polo shirt with a collar and pressed slacks and brown comfortable shoes to today where it seems anything goes. Is it just me or have we all taken it down a notch? I had the television on the other day and saw the President of the United States dressed without a tie. The President of the United States???
It’s great that you don’t need to have your shirts pressed and starched each week and given that it’s comfortable to dress down you’re probably more productive. Let’s not forget the money you are saving. For a guy to look good in business attire you need to spend some major money and there’s never a sale. For the ladies that’s a different story. You girls have more sales than I have chins!
We ALWAYS prepare our candidates before every interview in great detail including how you should dress for an interview. It’s not everyday that you’re putting on a suit and tie but for an interview you really need to put your best foot forward. It doesn’t matter what the company’s dress attire is, you still have to understand that the first impression might be your last. Everyone feels like a million dollars when you know you’re looking good. Sometimes the problem is you don’t know what looks good. For that you need to get some help. Go to a store that has nice business cloths and ask for help. In phase two of MyjobCAST.com we will have videos to help in this area and to make it convenient for its members.
We just had a candidate show up for a job interview wearing flip flops. The interview was brief I might add and NO she didn’t get the job. Lucky for us it was with a great client who values our service and gave us the details on the attire. When we spoke to the candidate she was shocked and didn’t understand that what she was wearing was bad. I kind of blame it on how companies dress attire has changed and what she was wearing was probably the norm at her last job; however, for an interview you can’t be dressed like your going shopping at Wal-Mart.
I can tell you that I have seen some funky cloths in the work force these days and maybe that’s cool but when you go to an interview you have better be dressed for success!
