Job Interview Tips: How to Make a Great Impression

Getting a job is one of the major milestones in anyone’s life. Breaking thru the competition, shining brighter than everyone else and landing a chance to prove your professional worth is a worthy cause for celebration. However, getting to that point requires a lot. Experience, luck, tips&tricks and many other factors join in when you are at a job interview. To tip the scales in your favour against the ruthless Australian job market, we are here to help. You will be surprised how little it takes to succeed!

1. Dress code!

As the old saying goes you should dress properly for the job you wish, not the job you have. Do diligent research before you appear for any job interview (we will cover this later), and then you can prepare. If you are applying for a corporate position, then it’s worth noting that you have to explore the work culture and atmosphere of the company you will be working in.

Serious companies with strict work ethics require a tie and a suit. You can find out a lot about a company from their “About us” section and work from there. If the company has a loose dress code or is going for a hip look, you have to match their dress code. Always think one step ahead. Imagine that you’ve already landed the job and are now coming in to work. How would you dress then? That is the answer to how you should dress for your job interview.

2. Do research beforehand.

You will be asked a lot about your future company. What does the company do? What do you think about it, and what are you expecting from your future job at the said company? These questions are there for the company to see if you are a serious candidate or if you are wasting their time. The more you know about your prosperous company, the better. When it was founded, what its field of operation was, and what were the company’s major breakthroughs, accomplishments and rewards, are all valid questions you could be expected to know the answers to.

When you know the answers to these questions, you will leave a good first impression and show initiative towards a prosperous job, and your future employer will see that you’ve taken interest in their company. People love attention, and when you give it to them, they will respond in kind.

3. Get all the help you can!

Everything goes when you wish to land your dream job. The Australian job market is ruthless as it ever was, where thousands are competing for one job. Strings, connections and favours are not available for everyone and can backfire. A full-proof method is reaching out to a person or people who have knowledge, experience and inside information to get you started. As there is a job for everything, there are also people whose job is to get you a job. Reaching out to a pro and proven talent recruitment agency from Sydney gets you on the fast track to success.

We all need a little boost and a gush of wind in our sails from time to time. Information is the key to success, and when you have a trusty friend at your side, to help you out, you already have one foot thru the door. A single person does not appear formidable as you are just one more face in the masses of others. But, when you appear in collaboration with a talent agency, you are sending a clear message to your future employer. That you would do anything to get the job done!

4. Adjust expectations

Coming into a job interview with glary eyes, overenthusiastic and over-confident can set you up for failure in the same way when you do the opposite. What you imagine and the scenarios you’ve envisioned are very like to be false and when reality hits you, you may lose your footing. Being realistic about your future job, starting with the pay range, responsibilities and carrier, will let you establish a firm foothold on reality. Such a firm stance will reflect on your self-confidence, and you will beam with positivity. A person should not delude himself with unrealistic scenarios, and keeping both feet on the ground, lets you realistically discuss your future job.

5. Body language

Over 70% of our conversation happens with body language. Humans are programmed to notice the slightest change in others’ body language, and your body can not lie. What your body sends out will overshadow anything you may say. A good posture with a firm handshake exudes confidence. Sitting up straight in the chair and slightly leaning forward, not crossing your legs and arms are all signs that you are open for negotiations and talk.

Maintain moderate eye contact with each interviewer and always look someone in the eyes when you are talking to them. And always remember that a glass of water is your best friend. If you are in a pinch and need some time to figure things out take a sip of water. That small gesture will buy you enough time to recoup. How you leave the interview room is equally as important as how you’ve entered. Don’t be too hesitant to leave, shake the hand of each interviewer and thank them for their time.

6. Have leverage

Besides your CV, which should be jam-packed with arguments towards your favour, you should carry a portfolio with you. Your portfolio represents physical evidence that you’ve done something and are your trump card. It’s also a perfect talking point on your interview and is something tangible to prove you are the right person for the job. In the end, we all value physical proof more than anything else and presenting your interviewer with concrete evidence of your competence, stacks the deck in your favour.

Job interviews carry with them an unfair stigma. They are not all dreadful encounters filled with anxiety and stress. Job interviews are simply a chance for you to shine and present your best qualities to the employer. When you do your best, you pass the ball to their half of the court. All you can do after a good job interview is wait for that confirmation letter and celebrate!