The resume is perfect. All that is left is to come in and make a stellar impression and snag the job. While many people have the skills needed to successfully handle the job opening, they may lack some of the softer skills that help them get the job in the first place.
Be Early for the Interview
Sounds simple, but when traveling to an unfamiliar area, looking for parking, finding the building, riding the elevator to the right floor – it’s easy to run a little behind. Don’t. Employers want to know that candidates are reliable and running late gives the opposite impression.
Also, being late can make candidates frustrated and anxious, which can make an interview more difficult.
Put On a Show
Just as Broadway actors stay in character from the moment the curtain goes up until the last applause, job candidates need to remember to be their best professional selves from the time they pull into the parking lot of the office building until they drive out of site.
A candidate may have a last minute smoke before entering the building, but the potential interviewer may be the one passing through the haze of smoke, returning from lunch. The secretary a candidate is curt with may have the ear of the hiring manager and can endorse or derail you.
Dress the Part, or Better
Even if an interviewer says the interview is informal, it’s essential to dress professionally. If the employees all dress in shorts and tee shirts, dress a step up for the interview, at least in nice khakis and a golf shirt. If employees wear dress pants and shirts, show up in a suit and tie or pant suit.
Although everyone has individual style, use the interview is a time to focus on skills. Strong perfume, cologne or large jewelry can distract interviewers from your body of work.
Give a Firm Handshake
In a recent survey, University of Iowa business professor Greg Stewart found that a handshake made a bigger impression than dress or physical appearance. Stewart says that the impression created from a handshake may be unintentional. "We probably don't consciously remember a person's handshake or whether it was good or bad," Stewart said in a University of Iowa news release. "But the handshake is one of the first nonverbal clues we get about the person's overall personality, and that impression is what we remember."
A good handshake, which includes a firm, palm-to-palm grip, up and down motion and eye contact gives the impression of extroversion and confidence, Stewart’s study showed. This was effective for both men and women.
Watch Your Language
Even in the most comfortable interviews, the prospective employer is still assessing the candidate. Profanity and excessive slang can sabotage the professional image you’re trying to create. Ditto the sharing of extremely personal information. When in doubt, listen or ask a good question instead of talk.
By using savvy interpersonal skills to showcase your work experience, you have the best chance of creating a positive, lasting impression.
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