Ever given an interview and felt the inability to establish a connection with the interviewer, even though you are the perfect fit for the job? You must have often been in a place, where although you are confident and trying your best to set your best first impression, the interviewer seems distant, and uninterested, and the whole interview process just feels monotonous
Such instances always hamper your confidence and obstruct
you from giving your best pitch. A lot of things determine your success in an
interview: from the quality of your resume, your timeliness, manners, the way
you present yourself, and above all, how you answer the interview
questions.
Here are some steps you can take in order to help establish
a connection with the interviewer:
- Prepare
for the interview: Preparing for the interview beforehand does not mean
memorizing your answers to particular questions. It rather refers to
practicing your delivery, aura, and poise during your interaction with the
interviewer. You should not come off as too strong, or too weak. Going
through videos of interviews, guidelines to help make a good first impression
during interviews may help. Think about how you are going to relate to the
interviewer on a personal level while being professional.
- Presentation
matters: The way you present yourself, the way you dress plays a major
role in setting your first impression. You need to dress well and look
presentable to set a good first impression. If you dress in shabby clothes
and look messed up, then it will set a very bad impression. At the same
time, if you are overdressed then they may think that you are trying too
hard on setting the first impression.
- Take
the lead: Start your interview right away. This does not mean asking
questions from your side to the interviewer, but rather refers to actively
participate in the conversation. As you enter the room, greet your
interviewer confidently, with a warm smile, and engage in a conversation.
This will not only help you relax but also lower the tension in the
atmosphere and put the interviewers at ease with you.
- Show
interest: Showing interest in the interviewer both as an individual as
well as a representative of your company will help you build a connection
with the interviewer. Make a casual small talk before you get into the
questioning round, so that the interviewer feels at ease with you.
Questions like, “How long have you been working here?”, “What is the work
culture of the company like?”, “How long is your commute?” will help you
show your interest and seriousness for the job. Acknowledge everything
they say, like, “I understand”, “Sure”, “That sounds interesting”, etc.
- Good
Posture: Your posture, body language, and gestures contribute a lot to the
interview process. If you sit lazily, yawn during the interview, are
chewing gum during the interview round, and do not pay attention to the
interviewer, then the interviewer will feel that you are not interested in
the job. It sets a very bad impression too.
Keep in mind that your posture provides greater insight into
the conversation. Sit up straight and slightly lean forward, to engage them in
a conversation and show them that you are interested. Don’t be energyless, or
hunch while sitting. Make hand gestures while explaining things so that they
understand you better.
- Eye
Contact: Eye contact is key to having a good, active, and engaging
conversation. No matter how much knowledge you give through your words, if
you do not have eye contact with the person you are interacting with then
they may not hold your attention. If you get intimidated by their eye
contact then they may think you are not interested in what they have to
say. So look into their eyes and talk to them, be confident so that your
gaze does not falter, and there! You will have a person rapt in attention.
- Pay
attention to everyone: Many times you will be in an interview where there
will be multiple interviewers firing questions at you. The situation may
seem intimidating, but that is just another challenge in your way. You
have to engage everyone in a conversation and keep in mind to not let
anyone feel left out.
- Ask:
Usually after the interview is complete, the interviewers follow the
interview process up with an opportunity for the candidate to ask
questions about the company. DO NOT let this opportunity go. Not using
this opportunity to your finest advantage can give them the impression
that you are not serious about this job. Use this opportunity to ask
questions about the company culture, their policies for overtime, their
training programs, their employee-employer relationship, their experience
of working in the company, their roles in the company, how you can
contribute more to the company.
- Thank
your interviewers: This is a very important step which event he most
brilliant candidate often forget. After setting a good first impression it
is very important to thank your interviewers for their time and
efforts.
- Follow-up:
This is a very crucial step after the interview is complete. Do not wait
or forget to follow up your interview with a “Thank you” mail, note, or
phone call. Thank them for their time and acknowledge their efforts into
the meeting, and praise their efforts for setting it up. Don’t forget to
say that you enjoyed the meeting and hope to hear from them soon. This
step will surely seal your perfect first impression.
Now that you are aware of the secret to establishing a solid connection with the interviewer you are all set to take on your dream job!
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