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5 Tips for the best interview first impression

It takes only a quick blink of the eye for an employer to initially evaluate you. Within those first three to seven seconds of an interview, you could either be making a great professional impression or failing miserably. Your appearance, behavior, body language, and how you are dressed are all taken into account and judged accordingly. To make a great impression, follow these cardinal interview rules.

1. Be On Time

An employer you are meeting for the first time is not interested if the train was long or if traffic was slow. Taking those possible delays into accordance is imperative when traveling to an interview. It is better to sit in the parking lot for 10 extra minutes then walk in one minute late.  Plan to show up five to 10 minutes early to hit the sweet spot.

2. Look Your Best

While you may not want to sit in the bushes to stalk the company’s dress code, it never hurts to ask the hiring manager. Having freshly cleaned and pressed clothing is a no-brainer, but the little things like shining your shoes or lint rolling off the dog hair are conditions that employers notice. Covering up tattoos, removing excessive piercings, and having a clean-shaven face and controlled hair could be impressive or could doom you to failure in your career search if left unchecked.

3. Let Your Body Talk

Mirroring body posture and communication style of your interviewer instantly gives you an edge. Humans unconsciously associate strongly with people they see following their body posture and expressions.  By mirroring, you are effectively saying to an interviewer that you are trustworthy, receptive to his or her opinions, and will be a confident and familiar employee.

4. Always Make Eye Contact

In the words of Mr.Miyagi, making eye contact shows confidence, and confidence is key. In relation to good eye contact is a firm handshake. Limp-fish style handshakes are related to timidity and no one wants a timid employee.

5. Be Prepared

Like a good Scout, being prepared with pen, paper, extra resumes, and any sample work will do wonders to make a good impression. Taking notes during your interview will give you material to make a decision on your part while showing an employer that you are interested in what he is saying.

Look the part, be the part, get the part. And don’t forget to smile!

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