Your clothing and comments send a message. As the advertisement says, you'll never get another chance to make a first impression; People make immediate judgments about your economic level, education, trust worthiness, honesty and credibility all within that initial encounter. Amazingly enough, that critical first impression is usually made within six seconds.
Now that you know you have just six seconds, would you want to chance sending a mixed message?
Consider the woman who is interviewing for a position with a very professional and conservative law firm. She walks in with a beautiful suit that fits perfectly, matching pumps, a strand of pearls, small pearl ear rings, her hair pulled back. But as she extends her hand for a handshake, the interviewer notices that each of her perfectly polished nails is extremely long and decorated with a design to match her suit. The inter viewer can't help but wonder, "Is this a hard worker? How can she type on the computer? Is she too flashy for this office?" Or take the gentleman interviewing for a position with an aggressive company. His suit is beautifully tailored, his tie spotless, his shoes shined and his hair clean and trimmed.
When his potential employer walks over to introduce himself, however, the candidate looks away and never really makes eye con tact during the entire interview. Mixed message? Absolutely. That one blunder could cost him the job, and he might never know why?
I'm sure you get the picture. Concentrate on the total package. Now let's think about your first impression.
Take some time right now to read each question and jot down your answer on the lines below.
- How would you want someone to describe your appearance?
- How would you describe a professional appearance?
- How does a person portray self confidence?
- Name one person you feel has the "look" you would like to portray. Why?
Lasting Impressions
When the employer starts walking you out or is obviously ending the interview, you'll have your one and only shot at making your last impression.
Look the interviewer right in the eye and mention or repeat things you like about the company. These may be things the interviewer shared with you during the meeting, such as, "This is a growing company," "We believe in teamwork," or "We believe in quality, not just quantity."
Then ask for the job. Do not leave an interview until you "close" on yourself and ask for the offer. We'll talk more about closing later, because it's the most important part of the interview.
Your work doesn't end after you leave the building, however. Always send a handwritten thank you note as a professional follow up. You or someone else should proofread carefully for spelling and grammatical errors. Top candidates have actually lost the job because they sent a thank you note with a spelling error. Consider the two sample thank you notes at the end of this chapter.
Which candidate "closed" in the note? Thomas Doe's note was the same old one everyone sends. Nothing stands out, so neither will this candidate.
Jane Doe, however, asked for the job. The old cliché, "If you don't ask, you don't get" is really true in a competitive market.
Glowing Recommendations
References are always the last impression that clinches or cools the deal. When you provide references, make sure each person has been asked ahead of time and can be relied upon to give glowing references.
Often people fear a bad reference from a former employer because of personality conflict, a change in management or incompatibility, and omit the company or reference altogether. If you think your immediate supervisor might not give you the best reference, cover yourself by having another person at the company on your reference list.
So start out on the right foot by giving the best first impression possible, and let your references win the race for you by communicating your value to your potential employer.
