First Impressions - Making a Positive Impact at Your Interview

OK, so you have impressed a potential employer with your CV or application form and they think that you could be the manager they are looking for. Now you need to confirm this opinion to them in the interview and that process starts from the second you enter the interview room. If you make a good first impression, even though the interview will be just as hard, it will help to colour the interviewer's view of you.

Your entry to the room is vital. Enter with confidence, keep your shoulders back and hold your head high but be careful not to overdo it, there is a fine line between looking confident and looking arrogant. You should present a friendly face and give a firm (not crushing, not limp) handshake to the interviewer or members of the interview panel. When you speak your greeting, speak with a clear voice that covers any nervousness; a mumbled and quiet greeting gives the message that you lack self confidence.

Your intervewer will want to see that you really do value the opportunity to present yourself for the post. So make sure that you have dressed appropriately. Dressing to impress shows that you are enthusiastic enough about the post to make an effort and it shows that their company and the job really do matter to you. For the interview situation, you should dress smartly and appropriately. As a manager, whether you are male or female, you will be expected to be neatly turned out at all times. Put on your best suit, ensuring that it has been cleaned and ironed beforehand, including your tie if you are wearing one (pretty much obligatory for male interviewees). Your shoes should be well polished and spotless - the devil is in the detail as they say. You are unlikely to lose a job because of your dress but an interviewee who is well turned out will create a more favourable atmosphere for success.

The final part of making your good first impression is how you sit down and prepare to receive the questions. Someone who slumps down in the seat, folding their arms and crossing their legs will not create a great impression. It is much better to sit straight, feet on the floor but a little relaxed and not stiff as a tailors dummy; you want to appear human and not wooden! Hands are always a problem, when you are nervous they seem to take on a life of their own. The best thing to do with them initially is to place them on your thighs ready to use them as part of your body language during the interview. Body language is as important as words, ensure that yours is not 'closed'.

So that's it, the first 30 seconds of the interview is all you have to make your positive first impression. Make those seconds count and you set the scene for a successful outcome.