Although its been said that You cant judge a book by its cover, it happens all the time. In business as well as in life in general we are always judging and being judged. That all important first impression is lasting.

 

Its been statistically proven that people make judgments about others in the first 30 seconds to one minute of meeting them. Therefore, job seekers have only a short time to make that impression a positive one.

 

Everyone knows they should be clean, neat and polished looking when they walk in the door for the interview. Thats only part of the preparation though.

 

When seeking employment, there is something you can do to make yourself memorable to the interviewer. Improve your interview skills. Following are ten (plus one) easy ways to do this. Each will demonstrate positive things about you to the interviewer.

 

1.       Arrive for your interview at least ten minutes early. You show that you are interested and have manners enough NOT to keep the interviewer waiting.

 

2.       If you are sitting when the interviewer arrives, stand up when they come in. Introduce yourself and give a firm handshake. Again, this speaks to business etiquette and interpersonal skills.

 

3.       Prior to the interview, make sure you have scoped out the business. How? Research them online and discreetly stop by/drive by to gauge how people interact; what they are wearing, etc.

 

4.       Be polite to everyone you meet. Leave the receptionist with as good impression of you as any other VIP!  This shows that you consider everyone important.

 

5.       Have questions for the interviewer and make sure youve listed them ahead of time. This shows youve given some thought to the position and have some idea of what the business is about.

 

6.       Be able to discuss what you are all about in a two minute speech.  Practice and memorize it ahead of time. You will almost always hear: Tell me about yourself.  This way you can be ready to respond.

 

7.       Bring at least two fresh copies of your resume. (Use good stock resume paper and not the paper you use every day.)

 

8.       Make sure your resume reflects you. Dont make up things to make yourself look good-you will be found out.

 

9.       If you are now employed, do not badmouth your current employer. When asked why you are seeking other employment, its fair to say you want to expand your horizons or opportunities. Perhaps such opportunities are not available in your job.  If you badmouth your boss, it will make the potential employer question your professionalism and loyalty and make them wonder how you would talk about people if you were hired.

 

10.   After the interview, send a thank you note. In it youll thank the interviewer for taking time to see you and youll indicate that you are very interested in the position. 

 

PLUS ONE: Ask for the job! So often people leave interviews and never express their interest. Thats a mistake. When you dont ask for the job what message do you send the interviewer?

 

By using these suggestions, youll make a great impression on the interviewer. As a result, youll be the book that that is read beyond just the cover!

 

About the Author:
Pamela Tyree Griffin is an experienced facilitator and content developer focusing on Leadership, Mentoring and Humor in the Workplace. An accomplished author,her work has appeared in both literary and mainstream publications. For more information please visit: http://members.tripod.com/pamela_writes/
http://www.lulu.com/.