THE START OF THE INTERVIEW

People say that the first 30 seconds are when the decision is made. Although this isn’t quite true, this is usually the time when the interviewer makes up his or her mind about you in many ways. Think about what actually happens in the first 30 seconds of an interview. In this short period of time you are likely to be:

• knocking on a door
• seeing the interviewer(s) for the first time
• walking in
• saying hello
• shaking hands
• taking off a coat
• sitting down
• accepting or declining water, tea or coffee.

Wow! A lot goes on, doesn’t it? And in this short space of time people make decisions about what they think of you. So each of these things is important.

Making the entrance

Don’t be too timid. A shaky tap on a door sometimes gets ignored, as people aren’t sure if someone was there or not. Be sensible, and give a businesslike knock. Don’t wait by the door, hovering uncertainly! Walk in, and go towards the interviewer to shake hands and say hello. This shows confidence in yourself, and helps if the interviewer is nervous as well. If you are asked to wait in the room for the interviewer, you will be there already when they come in. Simply stand up, and move towards them to shake hands. Whatever you do, don’t hover, standing up until they arrive – this will only make you look nervous and it could be a long wait.

Seeing the interviewer(s) for the first time

So now you can see the monster about whom you’ve been nervous! Look them in the eye and smile. If they look away from you, keep looking at them – and keep smiling. Say hello, and offer your hand to shake – don’t wait for them to shake hands. Do make sure you shake hands sensibly. No one wants their knuckles cracked, but neither does a limp soggy handshake do anything for your image. You actually need to take hold of the person’s hand and shake it – once. At the same time, introduce yourself if this hasn’t already happened. Say something simple like: ‘Julie-Ann Amos, nice to meet you’, with a smile. To do all this you need to be ready, and have put bags, briefcases etc down or have them in your left hand to leave your right hand free. Or ideally, leave them outside with reception, as we said earlier.

Getting settled

There now follows something that should be very simple, but can in reality be very awkward: sitting down and taking off a coat if you are wearing one. Sit down when you’re invited to – it’s sometimes seen as bad-mannered if you just sit down without waiting to be asked. When the interviewer says ‘take a seat’, remember to say thank you. It’s not just polite, it fills the silence and dialogue helps to break the ice.

Get relaxed and comfortable. Fidgeting during the interview almost always creates a bad impression, so get yourself settled now.

Refreshments

People get very nervous about having tea, coffee or water during the interview. Basically, there’s nothing much to worry about. If there’s nothing visible and you’re asked, the best option is probably to say, ‘if you’re having something I’ll join you, but otherwise I’m fine, thank you.’ This means there’s no need for the interviewer to order something specially, which can take time and make the atmosphere strained. If drinks are there in the room, it is perfectly safe to say, ‘yes please’ and have one. The only thing you should avoid at all costs is biscuits – it’s very hard to answer questions with your mouth full!

Breaking the ice

Most interviewers have a few questions ready at the beginning, to break the ice and put you at your ease. Be careful how you answer them. Often people ask questions such as, ‘so did you find us OK’ or ‘how was the journey?’. Never tell them you had any problem getting there – if you get the job you’ll have to do that journey every day, remember! So make sure they don’t have any reason to think it would be difficult for you.

Another favourite warm-up question is to ask whether you’re okay for time. This is asking whether or not you have to leave by a certain time, for example to get back to work. Be careful not to say that you’ve gone sick for the day, or are in any other way deceiving your current employer. It looks dishonest, and interviewers may assume that you would do this to them if you got the job – it can put some interviewers off. Just beware of giving anything other than a good impression.