Impress hiring managers in the first 5 minutes
FIRST impressions can be hard to shake - and that’s especially true in a 30-minute job interview.
Here are some strategies for impressing the hiring manager within the first five minutes of a job interview - or sooner.
1
Make eye contact
When the hiring manager comes to greet you, be sure to look him or her in the eye. A shifty gaze doesn’t scream “likeable” or even “smart.”
In one study, a pair of Northeastern University researchers asked participants to watch videos of strangers talking to each other for the first time and then rate how intelligent each person seemed. Results showed that the people who consistently made eye contact while speaking were considered more intelligent than those who didn’t make eye contact.
2
Be friendly Recent research suggests that seemingly idle chitchat before the interview really gets started - what psychologists call “rapport building” - can make a big impact on the interviewer’s impression of you. In the study, led by researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, and Texas Christian University, candidates who did a good job making small talk in mock interviews received higher ratings on the job-related questions than candidates who were less adept at chit-chatting, meaning the interviewers’ first impressions had colored their overall impressions.
3
Ask questions that can help guide the rest of the conversation
You don’t necessarily have to wait until the interviewer asks if you have any questions.
Business Insider previously spoke to Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job,” who said there are some questions you should ask early on in the conversation.
For example: “How did this position develop?” Taylor said it can be helpful “to let the hiring manager talk, as you gather some history on the position. You’ll get some insight on whether the opening is due to turnover or growth, for example.”