Eddie walked away from the interview confidently. He felt ready, answered questions well, and got a good vibe from the interviewer. When he got home, he would send a follow-up email.
A few days later, when Eddie had heard nothing from the interviewer, he realized he had forgotten to send their thank you email. He nervously typed it, clicked send, and was surprised to see an email back within 30 minutes. He was thrilled with what he read.
The manager remembered everything about Eddie, from the suit he wore to the points he raised in his interview, even though they had spoken there a few days. Eddie had made a memorable first impression that resulted in a job offer within a week.
Related: 10 Best Practices for Making a Great Impression
First impressions are critical to how people judge themselves. In August 2016, the Social Psychology and Personality Science (SPPS ) published a study in which participants recalled thoughts they had about a person in a photo six months after seeing it.
At the start of the study, researchers asked participants to judge the sympathy of a photo. One to six months later, they brought the participants back to interacting face-to-face with the person they had previously judged in the photo. It was determined that if the attendee said the person was more likeable in the photo, the photo would carry over to the in-person meeting.
Vivian Zayas, one of the researchers and professor of psychology at the University Cornell said, "Participants who said they liked the person in the photo tended to interact with them face-to-face in a friendlier and more engaged way. The researchers reported that this happened in part because of "behavioral confirmation" and "self-fulfilling prophecy."
If a hiring manager can't remember who you are and what stood out to you, you're very unlikely to get the job.
It reinforces the age-old adage of the importance of leaving a good first impression on someone. If a hiring manager can't remember who you are and what stood out to you, you're very unlikely to get the job.
Here are four ways to make a killer first impression during a job interview.
1. Call to get started.
If you want to make a good impression, introduce yourself to an employer before the interview. A February 2015 study at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business found that employees respond better when they can hear a candidate.
Professor Nicholas Eply and Ph.D. Candidate Juliana Schroeder said in his report, "When professional recruiters listened to candidates' professional qualifications, they rated the candidates as more competent, thoughtful, and intelligent than when they read it, even though the words were the same. ”
So while you have to keep sending out emails and resumes for the jobs you're interested in, pick up the phone and try cold calling as well. An employer who listens to you talk about your qualifications could be the boost you need to get the interview invitation.
2. Use powerful words to describe yourself.
The right word in the right place at the right time can be powerful. Whether in writing or in the job interview, you want to use words that make you sound powerful to your potential employer.
For example, using words like "initiative" and "responsibility" are words of great power. Saying "I took the initiative to do this" shows a potential employer that you are motivated and confident in your ability to handle a task. Also, saying "it was my responsibility" to an employer shows that you are self-aware and reliable.
Words like "smart", "likeable", and "successful" should be avoided. You want to show interviewers why they should hire you based on facts. Don't tell them you're smart, likeable, or efficient; show them by talking about tasks you've excelled at in the past and through genuine, personal interaction.
Related: 9 tips to say it better
3. Choose your profile pictures wisely.
The power of social media can rear its ugly head when it comes to choosing your profile picture. the SPPS According to the study, good photos received 21% more positive responses than a candidate with a less favorable profile picture. Moreover, the difference in the possibility of being invited to a job interview is almost 40% higher with a favorable profile picture.
Unfortunately, there is no universal definition of what could look like a favorable image. While a “good picture” was mostly left to the personal tastes of study participants, favorable photos are generally free of background clutter, have good lighting, and the subject is professionally dressed.
If you're having trouble curating a professional company portrait, develop something else to get people landing there. For example, Robby Leonard used his design skills to create an interactive resume listing all of his qualifications. His resume is basically a play on an old two-dimensional video game, but it suits his target audience while allowing him to stand out among the crowd. This drew attention to his skills and creativity.
4. Be engaging.
Image is everything. Reminder, in the SPPS study, when participants who said they liked the person in the photo were more likely to interact with them in an engaged way. It has also been determined that when someone is engaged, people tend to engage in that behavior and respond the same way.
This means that if your enthusiasm and engagement isn't at the peak when you meet in person, the discrepancy between your first impression and your actual impression will stand out even more to interviewers.
A killer first impression could be the difference between getting the job and not even walking through the door.
Many people tend to treat the job interview like a standard question-and-answer affair. While there's a lot at stake, it's important to show genuine interest in the interviewer and the position. You should maintain eye contact, lean forward in your chair to show you are paying attention to what is being said, and control your voice/tone to make it clear that you are committed and eager to interview for the position.
Employers won't want to hire you if you don't want the job. So show you're excited for the role and make sure you're 100% on board with what's going on in the interview.
The stakes are high when you meet a potential employer for the first time. times. A killer first impression could be the difference between getting the job and not even walking out the door. There are many stages to a job interview, but the only way to see how far you can go is to make sure you wow them the first time they "meet" you.
In what ways do you make a killer first impression in a job interview?
Related: The best and bravest question to ask in a job interview
