Jeremy Johnson has a new guest blog post this week on how you should think small to get ahead in your interview.
Jeremy is a recruiter in Kansas City for EHD Technologies, a recruiting, staffing and managed services company serving the IT, Engineering and Automotive industries.
Think Small to Get Ahead in Your Interview
Though I’d never advise someone to be narrow-minded in the interview process, I would tell them they have to think small. I mean really small.
It’s the details that can make or break an interview, especially when there’s stiff competition, so you can’t afford to ignore the little things. The little things are about sending a favorable impression of you as a person. Rarely will they be directly related to the nuts and bolts of the job itself. Rather, the small things have to do with presentation, and since you won’t have a second chance to make your first impression, these things are important. Doing them can tip things in your favor, while not doing them can get you passed over. Fortunately, you can control these things, but you have to be thinking about them to do so. There’s so much in the job-hunting and interview process in someone else’s hands, that when there’s a piece of it you can control, you have to be 100 percent intentional about it. You just can’t afford not to.
I think one of the biggest mistakes candidates make is in thinking that getting an offer comes down to how well they think they fit the job and answered the interview questions to their own satisfaction. But, it doesn’t matter what you think. It matters what the interviewers think. And that requires focus on your part – focus on the details and how you conduct yourself in every area of the interview. You’re ultimately trying to make an impression – a relevant impression when it comes to your technical qualifications for the job but also a strong, positive impression when it comes to the type of person you are that they may or may not want to hire.
And remember, you’re not just interviewing for a position; you’re trying to out-compete other candidates who want it, too. Think about what they’ll do to prepare for and perform in an interview, then you do more. Control what you can control. Do it right and with purpose.
So here are several small things that can add up to a big impression during an interview.
Dress appropriately: Notice I didn’t say dress professionally. What’s more important is to dress appropriately for that company and that industry. If you’re in a very formal or conservative industry like banking, you probably want to go with a suit. If you’re in a very relaxed and creative field, wearing a suit would probably work against you. I used to recruit for automotive manufacturing clients, where I specifically instructed candidates NOT to even wear a tie. It didn’t fit the environment or the position and would have sent the wrong impression about that candidate. That’s why I say it’s important to dress appropriately. Know what you’re interviewing for and who you’re interviewing with and once you’re on your way to the interview, remember to…….
Get there early: There’s a catchy saying about punctuality in your interview that’s worth remembering: If you’re early, you’re on time; if you’re on time, you’re late. A good rule of thumb is to arrive at your interview 10-15 minutes before it starts. If it’s a couple minutes before your scheduled interview time and you’re not there, the interviewers will start wondering if you’re going to be late. Don’t let that enter their mind. Getting there 10-15 minutes early shows you’re professional and prepared. Do this, and when you are called back to meet the interviewers, you’ll be able to get off to a good start with a ………
Firm handshake: There’s nothing worse than meeting someone for the first time and they give you the “dead fish” handshake. It just doesn’t come across well. The handshake is the professional introduction – the first part of the first impression – and it tells a lot more about a person than you might think. And guys, firm doesn’t mean “crush.” It just means solid – and intentional. Along with a firm handshake, you’ll want to make………
Good eye contact: This is just as important as the handshake, and probably more important since it’s needed throughout the interview. Poor or shifty eye contact can come across as you’re hiding something or just aren’t good with people. Either way, it can absolutely kill an interview. Also, it’s simply hard to conduct a face-to-face meeting with someone when they won’t look you in the eye. Another non-verbal necessity is……….
Positive body language: Way too often candidates are so focused on answering the interviewers’ questions well that they don’t even think about how they’re perceived when answering them. They’re not asking themselves a critical question, “What is this person’s impression of me?” or “How am I coming across?” I’ve seen it way too often – slouching, fidgety hands, crossed arms, constant shifting, playing with a pen or notebook. The interviewer won’t say anything about your body language, so it’s up to you to be conscious of it. But, you should also know who this is all directed towards. So………..
Get the names of who you’re interviewing with: You might be surprised how often this happens, but it does. When you get the call to set up the interview, make sure you’re getting the names of everyone who will be involved. It’s not good to go in blind, but it can also appear disrespectful when you can’t address someone by name. If you can’t get the names beforehand, you can ask to……
Get interviewers’ business cards: Always ask for this. It’s a good way to confirm the names and titles of the people you’re interviewing with, but it’s also good information to take with you for the next thing to keep in mind, which is…..
Write personalized handwritten thank-you cards: Just because the interview is over, doesn’t mean that you’re done. Always write out a personalized thank-card to each person you met with. A lot of people won’t send a thank-you, fewer will actually write it out, and fewer still will personalize the message to each person. You can drop it in the mail, or you have thank-you cards in your car and after the interview, write them out and then go back in and deliver them to the front desk. I always recommend thank-you cards unless it’s indicated that a hiring decision will be made so quickly that there’ no time. If that’s the case, send a personalized thank-you email instead.\
All of these things are important and all of them are under your control. Don’t forget that the interview isn’t just matching your skills to the job description or answering all the interview questions well. It’s also about the type of impression you make and that impression can make or break the interview. Being intentional with the details around the impression you make is critical. When it comes to interviewing, you just can’t afford to NOT sweat the small stuff.