All those hours crafting your resume and practicing Q&As has come down to this: the interview. Your nerves will want to get the best of you, but don’t let them. Keep these five tips in mind before the day arrives and you’ll walk in with your head held high.
Schedule the right time
According to Glassdoor, the “best” time to schedule an interview is the time that works best for your interviewer. If your manager offers flexible times, ask if you could come around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Your interviewer is more likely to be relaxed as opposed to early in the morning or last thing during the day.
Wear the right colors
Hiring managers and HR professionals find that wearing the right color clothing can make an incredible impression. For example, interviewers recommend wearing blue to indicate that you are a team player. Other colors are:
Gray: logical/analytical
Brown: dependable
White: organized
Red: powerful
Green, yellow, purple: creative
Use the proper hand gestures
Body language is a powerful thing, so be mindful of your posture and your hand gestures. Hold your palms open or steeple your hands to show sincerity. It also helps the mirrors the interviewer’s body language as well. This “chameleon effect” is a psychological phenomenon that describes how people tend to like each other more when exhibiting similar body language.
Come with questions
What an interview comes down to is knowing you’ve found a good match. A job isn’t a one-sided street. You’ll impress your interviewer if you come with questions about work ethic, environment, and daily tasks. Ask what is expected of you and why you should choose them. Turning the tables respectfully is refreshing and allows the interview to be a conversation rather than an interrogation. It more importantly helps you figure out whether or not this is truly a good fit for both you and the company.
Be you
In the end, being genuine is what counts. We’ve seen it in movies – the one who tries hard to impress often comes off as ingenuine while the one being himself is often more likeable. All it takes is confidence. Show that you are confident in your abilities and accomplishments. Guide the conversation in a direction that allows the interviewer to admire what you do.
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