Making a Great First Impression
It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for Interviewer to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the interviewer forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanour, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed.
It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for Interviewer to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the interviewer forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanour, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed.
With every new encounter, you are evaluated and yet another interviewer’s impression of you is formed. These first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo and, making those first encounters extremely important, because they set the tone for all the relationships that follows.
So, whether they are in your career or social life, it’s important to know how to create a good first impression. This article provides some useful tips to help you doing this.
- Be on Time
The interviewer you are meeting for the first time is not interested in your “good excuse” for running late. Plan to arrive a few minutes early. And allow flexibility for possible delays in traffic or taking a wrong turn. Arriving early is much better than arriving late, hands down, and is the first step in creating a great first impression. Be Yourself,
- Be at Ease
If you are feeling uncomfortable and on edge, this can create the wrong impression if you are calm and confident, so the interviewer will feel more at ease, and so have a solid foundation for making that first impression a good one.
- Present Yourself Appropriately
Of course physical appearances do matter. The interviewer you are meeting for the first time does not know you and your appearance is usually the first clue he or she has to go on.
But it certainly does not mean you need to look like a model to create a strong and positive first impression. No. The key to a good impression is to present your self appropriately.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so the “picture” you first present says much about you to the interviewer you are meeting. Is your appearance saying the right things to help create the right first impression?
Start with the way you dress. What is the appropriate dress for the meeting or occasion? In a business setting, what is the appropriate business attire? Suit, blazer, casual? And ask yourself what the interviewer you'll be meeting is likely to wear - if your contact is in advertising or the music industry, a pinstripe business suit may not strike the right note!
For business and social meetings, appropriate dress also varies between countries and cultures, so it’s something that you should pay particular attention to when in an unfamiliar setting or country. Make sure you know the traditions and norms.
Appropriate dressing and grooming help make a good first impression and also help you feel “the part”, and so feel more calm and confident. Add all of this up and you are well on your way to creating a good first impression.
- A Word about Individuality
The good news is you can usually create a good impression without total conformity or losing your individuality. Yes, to make a good first impression you do need to “fit in” to some degree. But it all goes back to being appropriate for the situation. If in a business setting, wear appropriate business attire. If at a formal evening social event, wear appropriate evening attire. And express your individuality appropriately within that context.
- A Winning Smile!
“Smile and the world smiles too.” So there’s nothing like a smile to create a good first impression. A warm and confident smile will put both you and the other interviewer at ease. So smiling is a winner when it comes to great first impressions. But don't go overboard with this - people who take this too far can seem insincere and smarmy, or can be seen to be "lightweights".
- Be Open and Confident
When it comes to making the first impression, body language as well as appearance speaks much louder than words. Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, smile (of course), make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake. All of this will help you project confidence and encourage both you and the other interviewer feel better at ease.
- Small Talk Goes a Long Way…
Conversations are based on verbal give and take. It may help you to prepare questions you have for the interviewer you are meeting for the first time beforehand. Or, take a few minutes to learn something about the interviewer you meet for the first time before you get together. For instance, does he play golf? Does she work with a local charitable foundation?
Is there anything that you know of that you have in common with the interviewer you are meeting? If so, this can be a great way to open the conversation and to keep it flowing. - Be Positive
Your attitude shows through in everything you do. Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism or in the case of nervousness. Strive to learn from your meeting and to contribute appropriately, maintaining an upbeat manner and a smile.
- Be Courteous and Attentive
It goes without saying that good manners and polite, attentive and courteous behaviour help make a good first impression. In fact, anything less can ruin the one chance you have at making that first impression. So be on your best behaviour! One modern manner worth mentioning is “turn off your mobile phone”. What first impression will you create if you are already speaking to someone other than the interviewer you are meeting for the first time? Your new acquaintance deserves 100% of your attention. Anything less and you’ll create a less than good first impression.
- Key Points
You have just a few seconds to make a good first impression and it’s almost impossible ever to change it. So it’s worth giving each new encounter your best shot. Much of what you need to do to make a good impression is common sense. But with a little extra thought and preparation, you can hone your intuitive style and make every first impression not just good but great.
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