How to Make an Amazing First Impression Even if You are Horrible at Interviewing

By Jack J. Kelly

Like it or not, people make a snap judgement about you within the first couple of minutes of meeting you. It doesn’t sound terribly fair, and it’s not, but that’s what happens.

You don’t believe it? Okay, let me give you an example. Be honest with yourself. It’s one in the morning in New York City. You see a guy in a cutoff tee, black tee shirt with a questionable graphic picture on it depicting something lewd, muscles bulging, a menacing scowl, shaved head, and mean look, getting off a motorcycle on one side of the street, and a dorky looking kid with a pocket protector, pants that are too short, shoulders stooped and walking with his head down on the other side of the street. Which side would you choose to walk on? We both know the answer, so don’t try to be all politically correct with me!

First impressions count in the real world and in the business world. When you interview for a job, you must keep in mind how people will perceive you. One of the biggest things you want to initially demonstrate and communicate is that people should be able to like and trust you. Interviewers look for those traits first, almost instinctively.

Here are some hacks to make a great first impression. The trick is to make the interviewer like you by making them feel better about themselves.

Listen way more than you talk. Most people think that because they are in an interview they need to endlessly keep selling themselves. It’s partly true – the selling part- but first you need to find out the interviewer’s hot buttons. You don’t want to keep talking hoping that you will eventually say something that resonates with the interview after 45 minutes. The hot buttons are what is important to the hiring manger. Where does she need the help? What are thing things keeping her up at night? If someone was in the role before, what did they do wrong? What can you do better than the former employee? What skills and attributes does she need in a new hire?

Start by making eye contact and offer a genuine smile. Then, proceed to actively listen to the interviewer. Really listen–not the phony waiting for someone to stop talking so you can talk listen. You don’t really need to care about what the interviewer is babbling about just carefully listen to find out what she needs help with. If it isn’t clear, ask her some open-ended questions to draw out the needs. By asking questions, it shows that you are listening and care about her needs. Once she articulates the pain points, you can then address how you can help. You use your listening skills to then share the elements in your background and experiences that will enable you to help solve her problems and make her life easier.

Don’t start offering advice about how you would change everything. That gets really weird and pushy. Just stick to the parts of how your background, education and other attributes and skills you possess will help her.

Shift the spotlight. I understand that interviews are all about the interviewer asking you questions. Try to politely ask the interviewer questions, specifically about him. Why did he select this company to work for? How did he get such a great and important job so soon into his career? What does he attribute his success to? Where did he get that great suit? Mention that you saw his LinkedIn profile and was impressed with his academic achievements and rapid ascension up the ranks in the corporate world, and could he share how that happened so quickly?

Yes, I know it sounds very sycophantic, but who doesn’t want to hear a little praise? The trick is to sound sincere. It’s even better if you really mean it. If you don’t, try to become a good actor.

Don’t drive the interviewer crazy with your crazy demands. It’s all about the hiring manager and how you can help her. The first interview or two is not about getting four weeks of vacation instead of three, how many sick days do you get, or whether it is a corner office or cubicle. Yes, these are important matters, but reserve them until later after the hiring manager gets to know and like you. If you start making it all about you, she will think you will be an annoying self-centered employee. Now, she might be right, but let her find this out after you already received a great offer and started working at the company.

Don’t let yourself get distracted. There is so much stimuli at an interview: the computers on everyone’s desk that you want to sneak a peek at, the employees walking around the office you want to check out, and the view outside the large window that you can see all of midtown Manhattan. Put aside the urge to take out your phone, thinking you got an important message. Stop with your Attention-Deficit Disorder for just one hour and focus on the hiring manger interviewing you. Just maintain eye contact to fend off the distractions. If you wear glasses, a trick is to take them off and make eye contact, but since it’s blurry you don’t feel uncomfortable. If you don’t wear glasses, just stare at the bridge of the interviewer’s nose so you don’t feel creepy. Also, nod your head when they are talking to show that you haven’t zoned out of the boring conversation.

Leave you attitude at the door.  Yes, I know; you’re awesome and a big shot! You’re smart, talented, well-educated and your girlfriend picked out the best interviewing attire for you today. Lose the self-involved, pretentious attitude. It doesn’t work. In fact, it’s just the opposite; it really irritates and annoys people. You can still think you’re the smartest, most important person in the room, but just keep it to yourself.

Mirror your interviewer. Here is a cool technique. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York– not the hipster Brooklyn that everyone thinks of now, but the crappy old Brooklyn before it became a hipster mecca with vegan restaurants and Kale ice cream parlors. I have a habit of talking fast, saying inappropriate things, and interrupting people. These are bad habits that I work on to improve. What I learned is that you can tailor your speech rhythm and mannerisms to the person that you are speaking with. When I talk with someone from the Midwest, I notice that my “Brooklynese” comes out and I could sound crass and loud. I also gesticulate with my hands too much. So, I slow myself down and measure my speed and cadence to match the pace of the other person. We both relax and fall into a comfortable pattern. I am not trying to copy them or pretend to be someone I’m not, it’s just mirroring the other person’s tone, mannerisms, and delivery to put both of us at ease. If you add making normal non-psycho eye contact and nodding your head, it is a great combination.

Also, here is something else to add to your interviewing repertoire; use their name when speaking to the interviewer. Not too much, but just sprinkle it in once in a while. If you don’t believe me, do it at the office. It catches a person’s attention and draws them more deeply into the conversation.

Don’t badmouth or diss anyone even if they deserve it. If the hiring manager asks you about your boss and why you are leaving, and your first thought is that he is an egotistical, jerk who is stupid, destroyed the morale of the department, lied about bonuses, and sucks up to management, don’t say it out loud. Let that be your inside voice. Your outside voice should be all sweet, nice and complementary. While your manager and coworkers are great, I have heard and read wonderful things about your organization (throw in some other stuff you learned about the them on the internet, like they give a day off to everyone to help homeless puppies), and would love to join such a progressive and growing company and believe that my skills could assist you in reaching your corporate goals.

Before you leave the interview, remember to act humble. People eat that up. We both know that you think you are so much better than the guy interviewing you. He just got the job because his dad was a frat buddy with a big-shot managing director at the company. Just play the game and act modest, while your inner voice says that you should have his job, car, and life because you are so awesome and he’s not. Please don’t say that out loud. Instead, give a nice big authentic smile, offer a firm handshake (ugh, his hand is all sweaty), nod your head as the guy mumbles something, repeat his name back to him, and heartily thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule (surfing porn or playing fantasy football with his loser friends) to meet with you. As you leave politely, say “goodbye” to the secretaries and other menial workers that are beneath you because they may say some nice things about you to the boss and get you hired. Then, you will get his job and get him fired.

I hope these tips help you in your interviews.

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