Learn from our Burlington Career Center’s Chris Sullivan how to make a good impression in a job interview!
1. Be Prepared to Sell Yourself
A job vacancy is a problem for the interviewer, so be the solution to their problem. Anyone can say they have a skill, so make sure you can show it! Before the interview, make a list of your strengths and admit areas of improvement. Everyone has room to grow and develop. With these areas of improvement, think of how this job could help you perfect your skills and how those skills can be put into action for that company or organization.
Here’s an example of how to effectively share this information with a potential employer: If one of your strengths is that you like to help others, you may also be in the habit of dropping your own priorities in order to put others first. This isn’t a bad thing, right? Well, yes and no. The strength is that you like to help and problem solve – the room for improvement may be focusing on one task at a time and then making time to help others and not only that, but taking the time to teach that person for their own long term growth versus rushing through and showing them. Now you have longer term development goals!
2. Body Language
Body language will say a lot about you, and your body language needs to be consistent with your words. Don’t fidget or play with a pen or jewelry. This can be distracting to the interviewer. Using your hands to tell a story can make the story more animated but be careful not to go overboard. Smile and make eye contact and try to avoid slouching in the chair.
3. Control Your Nerves
You can be fully prepared for the interview and your nerves can still get the best of you. Dealing with your nerves so they don’t get the best of you is an important step. Coming across as calm and confident are what to aim for. If you feel yourself becoming stressed, take a few deep breaths and focus on the moment.
4. Do Your Research
There’s more to a job than your role, so come prepared with thoughtful questions about the people who are interviewing you and the company you’re hoping to work for. Look your interviewer up on LinkedIn and research the company itself. Do some Google searches and determine what you’d like to know more about; What is the culture of the company? What is the average tenure of your employees? As the interviewer why they enjoy working there. Asking insightful questions will demonstrate to the interviewer that you are a serious candidate.
Nothing will bring the interview down if, at the end, the employer asks “Do you have any questions for us?” and you say “Nope!” Prove that you did your homework and that you really care by being prepared to ask questions.
After the interview, it’s easy to second-guess yourself and dwell on what was said and could have been said. Focus on the things that went well. In case you didn’t explain yourself well, consider how you could have been more clear. We are all human and the interviewer knows mistakes will be made. Avoid panicking, thinking this mistake will cost you the job. Stay confident and continue as if nothing bad happened.
5. Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Thank You Note
Whether it’s via email or a handwritten thank-you note, you should have this in front of every person you interviewed with within 24 hours of the interview. Customize each email or note: 3-4 sentences is all you need, but don’t copy and paste exactly what you have for each person. Make one specific reference in your email.
Make sure you ask for business cards or contact info after the interview; if you’re working through a recruiter, make sure the recruiter passes your note along.
Why is this important? Because you need to thank that person for taking time out of their busy day to consider you. Also, this is your final chance to make a comment that ties back to your conversation. It shows you were paying attention and that you care.
Meet the Author
Chris Sullivan works for our Burlington Career Center. His passion is helping individuals improve themselves so that they can take that next step higher in the job market. When he is not at Goodwill he can be found enjoying nature or chocolate ice cream.