When going for an interview, it’s important to prepare what you will say, wear and behave. Preparing for your interview and your introduction is vital to make a good first impression. Having a well-prepared and professional introduction will demonstrate your social and communication skills, important for a vast majority of roles. This blog will share our best tips for how to prepare for your stand-out introduction.
How to prepare
Setting a positive first impression will set the tone for the remainder of your interview. The interviewer will not only be assessing your skills to thrive in the role, but also if you will fit into the company culture and environment. Setting a positive first impression will require:
Dressing appropriately for the interview
Smiling and a good handshake
Confidence and excellent social/communication skills
Body language
It is possible by setting the wrong impression that an interview will become disengaged or create an unconscious bias towards you in your interview. To avoid setting the wrong tone, here are some of our best tips for setting a good first impression:
1. Research the organisation
To prepare for your interview, first, you need to research the organization. If you want to learn how to efficiently research a company before an interview, read our previous blog post here to find out more. Once you have researched you should understand more about the environment and how to relate to your interviewer.
2. Dress to impress
Showing your interest in a particular sport holds many great assets transferable to the workplace. Joining a team sport shows you can work well with others while focusing on the end goal, one of the most important skills in a work environment is demonstrating you can be a team player. If however, you partake in a solo sport, this demonstrates great skills in determination and competitiveness, showing a hiring manager you strive to be the best.
3. Body Language
Body language is an important form of communication. Looking friendly and engaged through smiling with great eye contact show the interviewer your confidence and honesty. Make sure when introducing yourself to any members of the organization that you meet, you shake their hands with a firm but comfortable grip. Through the remainder of your interview, you can show other positive body language movements to create a positive sign to your interviewer such as:
Leaning in when the interviewer speaks
Nodding along when talking
Keep smiling
4. Ending and follow up
During the end of your interview, it is important to thank any members for their time and consideration. Expressing you had a pleasant experience while shaking the hands of the interviewer(s) or hiring manager will show your expressed interest in the role and social skills.
When the interview is over, the next step is to follow up. This can be via email or phone call to thank them again for their consideration and the time spent discussing the role in more detail. This is also an opportunity to once again show your dedication and interest in the role by expanding on any roles or duties mentioned in the interview.
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