Congratulations on landing the job interview! Don’t celebrate too much because you still have work to do to put your best foot forward. Even before you step into the place, the hiring manager is assessing you.
Here’s how to make the best first impression in your interview:
Clean Up Your Social Media Beforehand
It’s still common practice for hiring managers to dig around on the web for your presence. While it’s true that they could do this before selecting your resume, it’s not unheard of for them to do so after.
Make sure your LinkedIn is up-to-date and that you have a professional photo on your profile. As for other sites, like Facebook and Instagram, it’s best policy to not post anything that you wouldn’t share in a work environment. If you’re worried about it, you can always set your profiles to private. A cleaned up social media presence will ensure you’re off on the right foot.
Do the Necessary Research
This is something you may have done to make sure your resume best reflects the skills and values the company is looking for. But you should dig a little deeper now and find out what the company is all about.
You can look for press releases online to see if the company recently experienced any major wins, such as making Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500, and mentioning it in the interview.
Your aim is to show them you have a solid grasp on the company’s goals and how you can help them achieve them.
Do a Practice Interview With a Friend
You should practice how you will answer typical interview questions ahead of time. Even writing them down can help you commit them to memory and fine-tune the wording.
Better than that, you should have a friend practice interviewing you so you can hear your answers out loud while practicing positive body language—proper posture, good eye contact, and smiling.
Another excellent strategy is to create smart questions of your own to ask an interviewer. Remember, this is a two-way street: they have a job that needs doing and you can do the job. But is this place worth your time?
Here are some questions you can ask:
- What are the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?
- What are the characteristics needed to excel in this role?
- How do you measure performance?
- What challenges can I expect?
Contact SVS Group for More information
There are many ways to make a great first impression. Assuming you already know how to dress professionally and look and feel your best at the time of the interview, the above three will go deeper to signal that you have staying power and you’re serious about the position.
If this sounds like you, SVS would love you to join our talent network!