Ten seconds after you walk into the room, before you even get a chance to sit down, you may have won or lost the job. While you may courteously be given an hour to answer questions and describe your accomplishments, studies indicate the interviewer forms a strong positive or negative impression of you within seconds of greeting you. One university study had job interviewers indicate when they had made a decision by pushing a button on a timer. Every interviewer pushed the timer within 10 seconds. This lets us know it’s not the fine print on the fourth page of your resume, but other factors that take precedence in making the hiring decision.
- Smile! Few things convey pleasantness, enthusiasm and comfort like a smile. Successful people smile a lot. People who frown are not perceived as happy, productive professionals.
- Dress Appropriately. There is only one way to dress for the interview: clean cut and conservative. You may not see yourself that way and know your RIGHT to look otherwise. But this is not the time to make a statement about your rights. Your task is to know how others see you. Avoid excessive jewelry, cologne or perfume, make-up, and cleavage.
- Be Punctual; arrive 5-10 minutes early. To arrive too early indicates over-anxiousness; to arrive too late is inconsiderate.
- Be pleasant and outgoing. Don’t attempt to take over the interview, but respond easily and spontaneously to questions and the interview process.
- Practice your Handshake! In our culture a weak handshake indicates a weak personality. Remember, according to research; Body Language is 55% of the communication process; Tone of Voice is 38% and Words make up only 7% of the process.
- Show self-confidence. Fidgeting, nervousness, glancing down, not accepting compliments, and self-deprecating statements all convey poor self-confidence.
- Do not run down former employers or coworkers. Prepare positive reasons for leaving any former position.
- Show sincere interest in the company and the interviewer. Remember, your task is to “sell” yourself to the interviewer, not to just convince them you are the best candidate for the position.
- Know your resume thoroughly. Be prepared to elaborate on any part of it. The product you are selling is you – know yourself well.
- Don’t order the spaghetti. More and more interviews are being conducted over a meal and believe me, interviewers are looking for information even there. Table manners seem to be a dying art; brush up on which fork to use and be courteous to the servers!
From “48 Days To The Work You Love” …. Page 163. Preparing for the Interview
I have two daughters who will be graduating college soon and both are going to get an internship in their chosen fields this summer so I forwarded this very timely information to them.
Thank you Sir.
It is interesting to see how quick we can “judge” someone and how it can take awhile to change our view of them.
It’s true that first impressions can be wrong – and that certain personality traits or quirks don’t necessarily mean a person is wrong for a job. But I’ve interviewed a number of people in my career, and it is a turnoff if people don’t seem to take the process seriously, or show sincere interest in the job. I was interviewing a guy for a job at a financial media firm, and he stated that working there would not be as much “fun” as his previous job at a video game store. That interview went no further.
As an experienced math teacher, I went to an interview once for another teaching position in another district. I walked in with two old telephone handsets and a small rubber chicken in my left hand. Twelve people around the table looked at me like I just pulled a knife on them. You see, in my profession, teachers need to show up at an interview prepared to teach something, extempore, should the auditioners want to see a sample of our “style”, and believe me or don’t believe me, that is precisely what I was ready to do. (Long story, but I wrote a vignette/skit that helps middle school kids remember the distributive property, and indeed, I brought my tools) I work with kids. I teach kids. I know kids. I know exactly what they’ll watch right down to the color and sound. To no one’s surprise that is reading this, yes, I was judged. At the end of the interview after I was asked if I had any questions. “Yes,” I replied, “Why didn’t anybody ask me about these?” as I held up my props. I heard a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-y n-o-t-h-i-n-g except the sound of pee running down someone’s leg. Educrats don’t look for someone who can interact successfully with kids, they look for somebody who’s a souless, pasty-faced and creatively barren ghoul. One who is able to give kids the creeps and churn out spreadsheets, protocols, and indistinct blurs, and can at least pretend to agree with other educrats. We teachers are served with the same teacher interview questions that the entire solar system uses, and yes, I knew this. I did well, but I wasn’t going to walk in and expect any levity if I didn’t generate it myself. When I was called later and asked by an administrator, under the pretense of interest, if I might come back for a second interview, I declined, and expressed to them that first impressions are important to me. That was very near the day I went back to my school, walked in to my principal’s office and said, “I’m leaving education”. She asked why. I sighed and said, “Because I want to be a teacher.”
I’m still teaching in a school, but working on finding a way out. Thanks for the resources here, Dan. I often struggle with what to do next, and some indecision and fear, yet I remain thankful for your site and newsletter. And sorry for the novel. (I just noticed I can disclose that I struggle with fear, but I can walk into an interview with two telephone handsets and a rubber chicken. 🙂
R-R-R-R-Rubber Chicken? I thought it would be the dog and pony story.
Thank you for sharing the vivid image of “the sound of pee running down someone’s leg.” If I had been drinking while reading this, I would have sprayed RC Cola through my nose onto my screen. Well played, sir, well played.
Well…thank you, Travis. But you know, they just gaped at me like I yanked on some poor dog’s tail. It kills me, it really does, when people who hire others to interact successfully with kids, couldn’t tell the difference between a Mr. Rodgers or a Big Bird and an anemic sterile bureaucrat. They couldn’t find their butts if they had bells on them.
Thanks for sharing. Very enlightening
Have you looked into teaching at a charter school? The charter school my kids went through allowed the teachers to teach creativily using methods they felt would get the lessons across. (Hickman Charter School, Hickman California)
Yes, I have Jack. Washington State has recently “allowed” charter schools, and they are already being treated like lepers by the Captains of Education who remain inebriated with themselves. I want to remain a teacher, but I think I’m going to arm crawl and sneak past these bureaucratic sentries by teaching through writing and speaking. My content, carpe vestri ego, is more important than theirs anyway. Thank you for the support!
Welcome to the new Amerika, Dan. There is no place for a free thinker in education in most school districts. I live in West Texas and I dare say that a creative teacher would be a welcome addition to our school district. Not that there aren’t some liberal influences here, but I think they are just the product of having to comply with the federal government to keep the funds flowing in.
Well, Trey, that may be true. Though if my instincts are in loyal service of their liege, meaning me in this case, what I hear and read and otherwise sense about what I know to be true in learning and what families are looking for, it may be time to completely redefine what it means for me to be a teacher. Educratia, administravia, and the unfortunate pawns of its other fools have enough followers. Certainly they wouldn’t mind if I skipped their little cliff-jumping party. And about you feeling too old to interview: Personally, I don’t trust anyone under 35. No offense to them of course. I remain suspicious of worshipers of the one-eyed God from my own generation, let alone those who were raised mouth-breathing over handheld devices. I am a baby, Baby Boomer. b. 1963. So we can be fossils together in spirit. Ha! And God Bless Texas by the way! 🙂
Perhaps we should look to start a business and only hire people over 45. We would surely not want anyone who is young and would ruin our image of wisdom and experience. Why just the mere sight of a young fresh face would sure scare off any potential customer, right? And besides we would have to pay them less and train them because they do not know any people skills, business acumen or customer service. Besides who wants to pay a kid a six figure salary when all they do is look at their phone and nurse their new tattoo !!! ;>)
Great story about the rubber chicken, noting all the positive comments may be you should be a writer. Regarding the teaching profession in the public schools across America, I have two daughters in education and they constantly are upset by the amount of paperwork and classroom management time taken up versus actual teaching content. I have taught on the college level for ten years and love it. Yes, there is paperwork, lots of it, but very little classroom management and the majority of the time is teaching content and active discussion with students to make sure they are understanding content and concepts, not wanting directions or a pass to the restroom. Try teach at a local community college for starters, you will love it.
We often leave interviews not knowing how we were perceived nor what’s next. Ask these two questions at the end of the interview: 1) Do you see any reason I would not be successful in this position? If they have any concerns or objections, they will come out now and you can respond to them. It’s always best to answer concerns face to face and leave no objections on the table! 2) What’s the next step? When you ask this, you may get more information such as, “we have 3 more candidates to interview and plan to make our decision by next Friday and will contact you then.” Now you don’t have to sit by the phone because you know what to expect!
I only wish the 10 items of common courtesy Dan listed were all it takes to ace an interview. These are just what I call common courtesy traits everyone should be using all day, every day.
Just getting an interview is almost impossible and when you do get a face to face with a person who is about 35 years old and you walk in with grey hair and lines in your face you can immediately feel the animosity building. You see, I am 60 years old. Oh most people are pleasant and tell you what a great interview you were, but you can tell they have zero interest in hiring a person who looks like their dad. I’ve even been told by a manager that he would not feel comfortable managing a person older than him. I’ve been asked point blank how old I am. I have experienced headhunters that contacted me about my resume or were referred, that were very excited about my background and experience until they really read my resume or got online and did some research about me, and realize just how old I am, then, I cannot get them to respond to an email or return a phone call.
I know I sound extremely negative, but this is my reality. Not something I chose, but rather a fact of life. I do not mean to be negative, nor do I come across that way in any interaction I have with others, such as a job interview. I know how to interview and I know the power in casting yourself in the best light, to be a person who can remove the pain the manager has, having an unfilled position. But the uncomfortable situation of managing a person older than you is more powerful than the pain of not having the right person to do the job.
By the way, if you are thinking I am some dumpy, grumpy old man, let me tell you I have run three ultra marathons in the last ten years and do Crossfit. I have advanced computer skills, dress in style and keep my hair in the latest cut appropriate for my age. I stay current on on cultural trends (not that I agree with them) and I am not in the least out of touch with what is going on in the business world. So if anybody has any ideas to prove I am wrong in my observations or can tell me how I can get a decent job with a good company, then feel free to chime in. I am all ears and would appreciate it very much.
Hi Trey
There is no magic bullet with regard to the reality of age discrimination. I’m of the same vintage, and in order to circumvent the age situation, have chosen to take on remote work. I have my office in my home, and contract out to about five different companies. They don’t see me, they just benefit from my services and pay me. My resume opened the doors, and I interview largely via telephone and Skype.
I do have to ask, however, what industry you are in. I’ve found that high tech and media are the least open when it comes to hiring older people. The high tech firms believe anyone over the age of 30 is already a tech dinosaur and incapable of innovation. Media prefers being “hip” to being informative, and because the mainstream forms are dying quickly, they look for the least expensive employees they can find – the 20-somethings who want a byline and willingly forego a serious paycheck to get one.
As for the overtly discriminatory responses you’ve gotten, 1) did you ask the manager who said he would be uncomfortable hiring someone older than he was exactly why he felt that way? I would have – not to be confrontational, but to open a dialogue that would allow me to better sell myself as being flexible and open to learning, and 2) any person who asks how old you are is already in violation of anti-discrimination laws – that question is an absolute no-no! Brush that off and think about the ramifications of working with an employer who opens him / herself up to litigation that easily. Do you think they might overlook a few other laws or courtesies, like paying their vendors on time, or being honest with customers?
It does appear, though, like you may be focusing on your age too much. Like anything else, if you expect age to be your downfall in job interviews, you’ll find a way to make it the reason you didn’t get a position. Why not pull a Reagan and use your age as an asset? Frame “age” as “experience and wisdom” and let your future employer contrast your genuine, provable accomplishments with the untested and unproven attributes of those younger than yourself. I’d rather hire someone who can say “I did X and have done Y” instead of someone who says, “I’ll try to do X and have training in Y.”
HI OAAM,
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. My background is outside sales and management, mostly in the beverage sector. My other main experience is in oil well services. Both of these would be a bit hard from my home office. I have explored the home based, virtual job market. From what I have found, it would take more than five of these positions to pay my bills. They also have no benefits and who can afford obama no-care?
I truly do not go into an interview expecting my age to be a downfall. I expect the best of people and let them prove me either right or wrong. My perception is based on my life experiences for the last three years trying to replace my sales manager job from which I was laid off.
I am now truly living my life day to day relying on my faith in God to provide our needs and He has done that. Maybe it is not my age, perhaps I am being tested in such a way as to break my last thread of pride and selfishness for which I have been guilty of my whole life. God does that you know. It says in James 4:6 that God opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble. Matthew 23:12 says, Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
HI Trey
Where have you been looking for your virtual positions? Yes, there are a plethora of them available that are essentially hourly, but if you search for sales / consultant / business development you may discover a lot that would offer you significantly more than a 10-12-15 an hour paycheck. Check out the Flexjobs.com website. As for obama-doesn’t-care, I’ve accepted the fact that the genie will never be put back into the bottle on that one, so I’ve done a bit of a workaround and gone with the Medi-Share program. Not insurance – a risk-sharing system set up for Christian “conscientious objectors” that is still legal in this country. It’s much more affordable than private-sector insurance, and you’re not giving your personal information to government bureaucrats.
I believe that if you reframe your self-perception from “employee” to “free agent” and choose to run your life more like a business, you’ll be in better shape. As the Obamacare employer mandate sinks its teeth into existing businesses, you’ll see more of them shedding employees like a dog after a flea dip in order to keep overhead costs in check. That will lead to a greater demand for outsourced labor. You may wind up as a sales or manufacturers’ rep for five different companies rather than one, and you will have to negotiate your terms of service with each company, but you’ll always have an income stream. Mentally, it’s a huge adjustment – I’ve spend over 40 years as an employee and it took a good 6 months to get into the daily discipline of setting the day’s work priorities and organizing my schedule to meet that day’s needs – but once you’re there, you find doors opening that you never thought were possible.
God may be testing you, but He also assumes that you already know the answers and is waiting for you to take your No. 2 pencil and start coloring in those dots.
Thanks, I will check out the website now. I have been looking at Medishare and also one called Liberty which is similar. God Bless you.
I am reading a few days after you first posted comments. I am sixty-six and can identify with you in some ways. I am starting out in a new direction–blogging. My primary hindrance is that I don’t have the computer skills to help me move along at a more rapid pace. That is something you have. And you have an interest in maintaining your health. This is a great area of interest for millions right now. This is just a suggestion: Start your own blog and monetize it. There are numerous affiliate programs so you won’t have to write all the materials. Work on it while you are between interviews. You are self-employed now, so you can start off in a new direction. Think outside of the box.
I just want to encourage you to hang in there. Try to identify your talents, abilities,and experiences and use them. God bless you .
Thank you for the advice and encouragement. God Bless.