5 Smart Ways To Have Effective Impression On The Interviewer

The day when you are supposed to meet an interviewer is similar to the day when you first enter your high school or college – you are anxious, nervous and excited. But at the same time, you are always worried about whether you would be able to make a good impression on the person, who is on the other side of the table.

Being under pressure will not benefit you at all, especially when you want to leave a good impression on your interviewer. You have a great resume and a strong personality, which should be enough to give you the confidence to face the interviewer.

This article focuses on 5 smart ways to leave an effective impression on the interviewer.

Know The Company Before You Come

Your decision to walk into a company for an interview automatically means that you have some knowledge about the company. Before appearing for the interview, you must do your homework and gather information related to the company, its background, what it does, the clients that they deal with and similar information.

In fact, you must be prepared for a session where the management discusses about the company with you. Therefore, having a prior knowledge about the company will not only help you to have an upper hand in the discussion, but also brightens your chances of getting selected for the interview.

Candidates who spend a certain amount of time to learn about the company before appearing for an interview never go unnoticed in front of the management. Rather, it can well be said that, interviewers do like candidates who come prepared for the interview.

No one would expect you to be familiar with the company jargons and technical verbiage used within the boundary of the organization. But it is a nice idea to read a little bit about the company's mission, vision, values, competitors and products. You may even decide to keep a pen and a paper handy to note important, or rather, new points that you come across during the interview. You never know, this handy piece of information might be useful on your first day at the organization when you finally get selected!

Be Sharp On Or Before The Time

Whether or not the interview panel is on time for the interview as per the schedule, the company expects you to reach the venue on or before the set time. As eminent politician Thomas C. Haliburton said once, “Punctuality is the soul of business,” it is important for you to show punctuality to leave a good impression, even before the management has a word with you.

To arrive on time for the interview, fetch information about the route from your location to the venue well before the day of the interview. Have an estimate about how much time it would take to reach the place and plan things accordingly.

In case you arrive early or if you are more than 10 minutes early than the scheduled time, spend the extra time sitting in the parking lot or an area, away from the organizations' front door. In addition, try to be the last person who leaves the building that day to get a better sense of the office culture.

Introduce Yourself Confidently

It is important to have your self-confidence high, to create a good first impression on the interviewer. Know this fact – the management clearly does not want to hire an individual, who is uncertain and really timid. Therefore, it is advised that you should just be yourself during the interview and answer the questions confidently.

Maintaining a direct eye contact with the interviewer and standing or sitting straight while talking are indicators of great self-confidence. Be confident while answering a question, however, answer the question only when you are certain that your answer is correct and would satisfy their ears.

Be honest if you do not know an answer to a certain question. Just state directly that you are not sure or do not know the answer. Do not fumble while answering.

While self-confidence is important, it is equally important not to be overconfident. Do not take any step or perform any action that shows your clear overconfidence. For example, chewing a gum or walking in with your hands in the pocket.

Be a Good Listener and Ask Questions Smartly

Well-researched and thoughtful answers from candidates, during an interview are always remembered by the management. In fact, they leave a great first impression on the mind of the person taking the interview.

It is perfect not to have a vast amount of information about the company at first, except for the basic knowledge. Therefore, it is okay to ask for help or assistance. You can consider asking questions that would add some value to your knowledge about the company, your prospective role or the way things work at the organization.

You can consider asking questions such as, “What are the management's expectations out of my role?” or “What will I be able to accomplish while working in this role?” Questions like these show your confidence and determination in becoming one of the most valuable employees of the company.

Remember To Follow Up With Appreciations

Sending a follow up email to the interviewer could be your last chance to set the impression. Send a follow up email, thanking the interviewer for spending their precious time in considering your candidature for a position in the company.

The organization may be interviewing thousands of candidates for the position and a follow up email acts as a nice reminder of who you are and what were you there for. In addition, it shows that you are really interested in the position.

Consider to personalize the follow up email by talking about something that you really liked during the whole process. You may even state what makes you different from the rest of the candidates and why they should really consider hiring you. However, remember not to over emphasize on it.

Thoroughly check the grammar and spelling before pressing the Send button!

Final Check List: