by Chance Clever

Created on: March 14, 2010

Job interviews are not just about your qualifications but how you carry yourself and what kind of impression that you give off.  A future employer isn’t just looking at your resume`, they’re looking at how you react to questions, situations and the composure that you maintain during the process.  Our faces give away our true emotions and learning to control your body language is a skill that will prove invaluable to your career.

When interviewing candidates for a job most managers will tell you that they base their opinions on several different factors including qualifications, appearance and extemporaneous responses.  Whether you’re interviewing for a job at McDonald’s or Goldman Sachs the impression that you give is paramount.  Assuming that you are qualified for the job that you’re interviewing for here are some things that can help you push your name to the top of the list.

Appearance.  You’d think it goes without saying that dressing properly for a job interview is common sense.  You’d be wrong, of course.  How you dress isn’t just a reflection of your ability to shop.  Your clothes tell a story about you and what you value.  Do you wear outdated, mismatched clothing?  Do your pants fit or are they baggy and shapeless?  If you said ‘yes’ I’ll assume that you don’t particularly care for social mores and find fashion to be something reserved for magazine editors and hipsters.  Without saying a word you’ve given me insight into how you think and shown me what kind of employee you would be.  I’m not interested in hiring someone who cannot summon the strength to care about their outward appearance.  Your clothes don’t have to be expensive but they should fit and look respectable.  I’m taking time out of my day to talk to you so please be courteous enough to at least feign interest in appearance.  It may sound shallow but how you look is important.  If you woke up, rolled out of bed and showed up to a job interview looking like a teenager who is forced to go to church on Sunday I will have serious doubts about your maturity.  Looking good, no matter what your size, shape or budget can give you a confidence boost that will be obvious to an interviewer and can only help you.

Walk the walk.  Ever hear that idiom “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”? 

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