Interview Skills That Will Make Your First Impression Great

By Cynthia Chebet,

First impressions are very important in job interviews. How you come off as, the first time you interact with the interviewer tells him or her a lot about you.

Interviews are difficult to handle and can put you into a lot of pressure that may end up making you come off wrong.

Preparation helps a lot when it comes to handling the tensions and pressure in interviews therefore you should ensure that you are well prepared or rather seek a professional interview coaching service.

There are a variety of interview skills that can help one to pass an interview, but, for you to make a good first impression, all you need is to work on is body language.

Here are the skills that will help you make a good first impression.

1.Eye contact.

Your eye contact can either betray you or market you in a job interview, given that eyes tell a lot.  Look the interviewer in the eye, it is really important.

When answering an interview question, hold good steady eye contact until the end of your thought or rather sentence. Do not look up the ceiling nor shift your eyes from side to side. You can break away a little bit with minimal blinks or look down but at carefully calculated intervals.

2.Voice

How your voice sounds will matter a lot during an interview. The first step to working on this is to know how you sound.

Does your sound show confidence, is it warm, or does is it sharp? Once you know how you sound it will be easier to correct the parts of it that may deter you from getting that job.

Speaking in a low voice makes what you are saying to sound important but you have to ensure that the person interviewing you does not struggle to hear what you have to say. Be audible enough but do not shout.

Slow your breathing to help you speak steadily and confidently.

Also Read >>> How To Answer Competency-Based Interview Questions

3.Posture

While seated in an interview session, you should lean forward from the waist. This will make you look like you are someone interested in what the interviewer has to say.

Leaning back will make you look like a joker so, by all means, avoid doing that.

4.Handshake.

You don’t need to handshake your interviewer but if you find yourself in a situation where you have to, you ought to do it right. You can initiate the handshake, employ the one- or two-seconds handshake rule, smile, and make the grip firm enough not to make your potential interviewer uncomfortable.

5.Mirroring the Interviewer

If you are someone who can easily pick up someone’s pace in a conversation then this interview tip will go a long way in acing an interview. Look at how the interviewer is talking to you; the energy and the speed, then mirror it. This will help the [interviewer feel like both of you have the same energy, only if done well.

6.Opening Message

What is the first thing you will say to the interviewer? First words last forever, therefore, you need to make your opening message as strong as possible. Be cautious yet confident so that you can show the employer you have good communication skills just as you wrote on your CV.

If you perfect all these interview skills, you double your chances of getting that job in Kenya. All you will be left to worry about is the answers you will give to answer the interviewer’s questions.

All the best in your interview!