The most important minutes in the Interview Process are the first five minutes! For that reason, you must make a great first impression. Needless to say, dress professionally. Do not be a trend setter on an interview. Dress in a conservative suit for men, white shirt, contrasting tie, and shined shoes; for women, a skirted suit is still preferable to a pant suit, also a light color blouse, as well as neutral colored hose and heels!

You may be wondering why I would even mention this- you wouldn’t even believe the amount of people who do not dress professionally on interviews! Very early in my career as a Recruiter, an employer turned down a candidate for a variety of reasons- one being, he didn’t bother to shine his shoes! He had made the effort to do everything else right, but wore his “work shoes" on the interview! I also remember the woman who when I told her to wear stockings during the high heat of the summer, pacified me and decided not to listen to that advice. On my follow-up call to the prospective employer, he was laughing at my advice and had decided to hire her because she had more common sense than her recruiter during a heat wave! Luckily for her, he was one of my most easygoing and relaxed clients; and stockings were not a big concern for him like they would have been to other prospective employers. Both of these stories illustrate the fact that your goal is to make the prospective employer concentrate on YOU and what you have to offer their company instead of what you are wearing!

Greet them with a firm handshake and a smile. There is nothing worse than a limp handshake. If you aren’t sure how yours is, test it with a friend you can trust to tell you the truth! Also, remember it is always a good idea not to wear after shave or perfume; and if you are a smoker, have your last puff before you leave your house and brush your teeth! At least once a week in the early years of my profession,

an employer called to complain about “not being able to breathe with the smell in the room"- and most importantly, 9 times out of 10, that person was not hired because the first impression was not strong enough to overcome any concerns that might have come up during the interview.

After the strong impression is there, the first thing to

accomplish is to be you .You are not on a stage! Maintain that" smile in your voice attitude"- Be friendly, poised and confident. Strive to project interest and eagerness in both the company and the interviewer.

Secondly, you must go into each interview with the attitude that you want the job! Over the years, I told many people to do that, and the typical response always was- how do I know if I really do want the job? My answer was always the same. If you go in with the correct attitude, you can get the offer! If for some reason the offer is not one you want, it still will give you that extra spark of confidence that you are interviewing well and presenting yourself in the right way.

Prior to the interview, take the time to prepare a simple Feature-Benefit Presentation on yourself. Think of your strengths and then turn them into features that the prospective employer will gain if they hire you! For example- You are self-motivated- the Benefit is that the employer can count on you to complete any tasks that your position requires, as well as the fact that you keep yourself Positive and always keep moving forward!

The third step to successful interviewing is the CLOSE. Remember, an interview is a sales call on you! You need to close the employer on the fact that you are the answer to their dreams! As you see the interview winding down and you have asked all of your questions, and answered all of theirs- Simply say-“We have been together for an hour now. I feel that I have a very good idea of what you are looking for. Where do I stand in relation to those you have already seen? Is there any other information that I could give you about myself or my background?"

Try to find out if there are any objections that you can overcome on the spot; and if there are, answer honestly and confidently. Never leave the interview without a final closing statement- “I am sure that I could be an asset to your company and I would like to continue to show you how. Can we set up the next meeting in the process?"

This is a very important way to end the interview so there is no doubt in the employer’s mind that you want the opportunity. Many times as I followed up with employers after an interview, I would tell them how much the candidate enjoyed meeting them and how excited they were about the job , and I would get the comment-“ that’s nice they told you! I wish they had told me that during our meeting." I usually had to do a little more selling to get the employer to give the candidate another chance. Without a recruiter interceding, the process would certainly be over for that person!

Let them know that you are what they have been looking for- In the unlikely event that you don’t get the offer - it probably just wasn’t meant to be, and fate has saved you time and aggravation; or if you really do not want to pursue the opportunity, just thank the prospective employer for their time and let them know you will consider it further. You can then follow-up with a note letting them know that you do not feel that it is the right fit for you. You never want to close a door poorly because you never know what might be available with that prospective employer down the road.

REMEMBER TO BE CONFIDENT IN YOU! IT WILL SURELY COME THROUGH ON YOUR INTERVIEWS!