First impressions really are everything. In fact, it is absolutely critical that you nail today’s topic if you are going to avoid a bad interview . I would even venture to say that 80% of a hiring manager’s mind is made up in the first 5 minutes of a interview.
Sure there have been times when I was not initially impressed with a candidate and they persuaded me to the good side by the time it was over. However, I would still say that you need to nail the first few moments in a interview if you are going to succeed.
Today I am going to talk about one of the important elements and then tomorrow we will look at a different key aspect to the first few minutes.
Fatal Mistake #4: Giving a Bad Handshake
There is nothing that turns me off quicker then a bad handshake. I hope I do not come across as being nit picky, but a good handshake is so important. Remember that in many roles you will be looked to forge ahead and develop relationships with key people outside of the company. You will be the "face of the company." Your potential employer wants to know that you will in fact represent the company well. That is why first impressions are everything.
Another reason that a good handshake is so important is because most of the time there is more then one person involved in a hiring decision. The person who originally interviewed you wants to look good in front of their boss. If they think for a second you are going to disappoint with a bad first impression, then you are going no further in the interview process.
There is nothing worse then a dead fish handshake or a handshake that is way too long. All of these factors do play in the mind of a hiring manager. Along with a handshake you need to smile and look the person directly in the eyes.
An important thing to remember is that they already saw something that they liked on the resume. Otherwise they would not have called you in for an interview. When you walk in the door you are confirming or denying what they saw on paper. They want to see a solid presentation that goes along with good experience.Make those first few moments count and avoid having a bad job interview.
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Jonathan is an Executive Recruiter/Career Coach that has successfully placed hundreds of Accounting & Finance Professionals. If you are currently struggling in your career, he is available on a limited basis for personal 1-on-1 career coaching and for resume makeovers.
