The Interview: Top 5 Tips for a Great First Impression

By Janice Burch, Co-owner, Pro Resume Center, LLC

Barney Stinson may have been a shallow SOB on the “How I Met Your Mother,” TV series, but the one thing the guy got right was the notion to dress to impress. Looks matter. It’s definitely not what we want to hear nor what anyone cares to admit, but as human beings, it is unfortunately our nature to make judgments based on first impressions.

An interview is the start of a relationship and as with any relationship, how you present yourself on first meeting speaks volumes within the first minute. Vast research has been done on this – from Princeton to UCLA, Cambridge and beyond - and much of it shows that the first minutes in a meeting and interview can determine how the rest of the interview will go, if someone will like you or not, hire you or not, keep listening or not. Within seconds of meeting you, based on a single observed physical trait or behavior, people will assume to know everything about you, according to Social Psychology by H. Andrew Michener, John D. Delamater, and Daniel J. Myers. Also, research conducted by Dr. Albert Mehrabian of UCLA, shows that appearance and body language accounts for 55% of that first impression.

We are not talking about whether you look like a super model or are eligible to land a GQ cover. In the job search and placement industry, this is about whether you have shown that you care enough about the image you portray, as a matter of respect for the interviewer and the company. Everything counts in the interview. Maximize your chances for an offer by paying attention to the details - because the interviewer will be.

Show the Company You Care

Personally I feel that judging one’s abilities on first impressions can be dangerously deceptive. There are multiple cases in history where smooth talking, good looking, well-dressed people have been arrested for serial murder, right? Enlightened and experienced interviewers know to not judge a book by its cover. But the fact remains, the majority of mankind makes initial judgments based on appearances and presentation; an interviewer will assume that how you present to them is how you will present to clients, teams, or investors.

Since my goal is to get you hired, let’s focus on what you can do to put your best foot forward to elevate your career and chances for interview success.

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