Five Ways To Make A Lasting Impression In Interviews by Suzanne Scheideker Cook
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” - Will Rogers
Tons of tried-and-true advice exists on how to make a positive first impression in an interview. The list includes being appropriately dressed, preparing yourself by researching sample interview questions, and following interview etiquette during and after your interview. Just like you can make a great and lasting first impression, you can also make a lasting poor impression on others.
In my book, A Mentor at Your Fingertips, the second chapter is titled “Unspoken Ground Rules.” It covers the rules that most management teams expect you to know and follow. Ground Rule #5 is “Always put your best foot forward.” Some of you may be saying, “Well, that doesn’t apply right now because there are lots of jobs out there.” The reply to this is yes and no.
Yes, it’s true there are currently lots of job openings. You can easily apply to multiple jobs with a click of a button using sites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, and Monster.
Now, for the no. Recently, we did a job search for one of our clients. We received almost 300 resumes. Although there are resume templates, less than 20% of the applicants used this tool to make their resumes stand out from the crowd. They let Indeed or another app put their information into a resume format and left it at that – no uniqueness, originality or extra effort. It was also clear that many applicants did not use spell check or proofread their resumes. If you meant to type “public” and typed “pubic,” spellcheck will not flag it. You might be laughing but this is a true story.
Why does this matter? It matters because another truth in our world is that gatekeepers control who gets past the gates. It is also true that the world of gatekeepers is small. This includes those in human resources who make the decisions as to who gets an interview and who moves to the next round of interviews. (Management positions almost always have at least two rounds of interviews.) Based on the applicants’ conduct in our recent job search, here are five ways to make a lasting (and negative impression) on potential employers:
If you are minimally qualified for the position, do not apply. If you really want this type of job, look at what you need to get there. Then work on getting the experience, skills, and/or knowledge needed.
If you are not excited about the job, do not apply. Enthusiasm shines through. Similarly, a lack of passion will come out too.
Take the time to check out resume templates. Pick one that reflects your personality and is appropriate to the position/industry sector. Please use spellcheck or Grammarly, and proofread your resume before hitting the “Submit” button.
If you are selected for an interview, do the interview. Either way, you win. The more interviews you do, the better and more confident you become in an interview setting. Another tip is to jot down notes as soon as you leave your interview as to what you thought went well and what you could have done better so you can improve for your next interview. (Life is full of interviews.)
If you decide not to do the interview, let the interviewers know because it is the respectful and courteous thing to do. However, if this doesn’t motivate you, then you should know that the interviewers will remember you (unless you plan to change your name).
Personal Challenge: During an interview process, what do you want the interviewers to remember about you? How do you want to be perceived? How can you create the right first impression for potential employers?
