Blind Dates - And Wanting To Make A Great First Impression

One of the oldest, tried and true phrases in all of business-dom is, "you never get a second chance to make a good first impressions". In every business transaction, interaction, merger, or acquisition, the successful result is generally born from the parties involved having had a positive first impression of one another.

At the beginning stage of my career, I enrolled in salesmanship 101, taught by my dad (Jerry Young), way back in the late 70's. Talk about recession city, yikes... Jerry was a firm believer in the firm handshake. Jerry believed in looking someone straight in the eye, and never discussing religion or politics with a prospective customer or employer.

Technology has lessened the frequency by which a firm handshake can be offered. So much of our B2B communication is now handled via the phone, video-medium etc... A growing percentage of my firm's initial interviews are arranged via Skype or Facetime.

What has not changed is the need to make that telephone, Skype, or Face time conversation a positive one. Following that same line of thinking is the strategy job seekers should employ when answering one of the most common questions from a potential hiring authority, new employer, or in the case of yours truly; a recruiter.

"Why are you no longer with your most recent employer?" "Why are you looking to leave your current employer?" "Why were you let go from your most recent employer?" These are all minor variations of the same question, and the answer to that question is paramount to creating the likelihood of a positive outcome on an initial interview. Like the saying goes, "you only get one chance to make a good first impression".

Rule Number One when responding to the question posed above. The shorter, more concise the answer, the better. Too many of us get into the winding details, the minutia if you will; regarding the whys and wherefores of why you are leaving, or have left you most recent job. Be prepared to answer this question in the span of 60-90 seconds. If you find yourself giving information beyond that timeframe; you are offering too much information (TMI) at this juncture of your interview. Find a friend, relative, confidant that will role play your response to this question. The more comfortable you become with your response, the better it will sound when presented to an interviewer.

Rule Number Two - Combine the mindset of being as positive as you can about your most recent professional experience, while steering clear of speaking negatively about your most recent employer. Over whatever period of time it is that you have worked with your most recent employer you've had the opportunity to see the good, the bad, and the most subtle warts of the company or organization. An interviewer will interpret as unprofessional and bad form the airing of those warts during your initial interview. Make sure to accentuate the things you learned, added to your experience toolbox during the tenure with your most recent employer.

Rule Number Three - You've decided to move on from your current employer, you've been laid off or fired from your most recent employer, you're somewhat passively looking at new opportunities... You want to make clear the new skill(s), professional prospective, self awareness, and career realization that you gained from having worked with your most recent employer.

As you are introducing yourself to a potential new employer or recruiter; try to keep in mind that you are attempting to establish a professional rapport. Your goal in the first phone or in person interview is to have the interviewer see or hear you as someone who would fit in with the best qualities of his\her organization. It has been my experience that very few companies bring a job seeker along in the interview process, much less eventually hire them; if they didn't initially find them socially compatible with their company's culture. 

Even in instances where your skill is of a highly technical nature you are going to interact with people within your area of expertise. Wanting to initiate the best possible first impression; keep in mind that the interviewer is formulating an opinion as to whether or not you would assimilate well into that group.

Here's my last little hint regarding taking that initial telephonic or in-person interview: Do not schedule it during a time when you are expected to be at work. It's near impossible to talk on the phone at work without potential interruptions. It is even harder to be fully composed when you are trying to have an initial interview knowing you have to be back at work at a certain time.

Here's wishing to you the best at making your first impression the one that leads to a long tenured career.