Our guide to making the first 7 seconds of your interview count!

7 Seconds To Impress How To Succeed In Your Job Interview

A Genuine Smile

Your smile can say a thousand words and givesthe person you are meeting an insight into your

personality.

It conveys confidence, trust and instantly makesyou look approachable. You will come across as

easy to talk to and ensure that you lookenthusiastic and excited about the opportunity.Besides, it takes less muscles to smile than it

does to frown, but beware, people will be able totell if you are forcing a smile.

Perfect Your Handshake

This is the biggie – there’s nothing worse than a drippy,sweaty handshake when meeting someone for the firsttime. Eurgh. So go in strong and firm with eye contactand that genuine smile. But not too strong, we don’twant to encourage any broken hands here. A welldelivered hand shake oozes confidence and

professionalism. A drippy one just gets shown the door.Quick tip – If you happen to suffer from sweaty palms,don’t panic, get some deodorant and give your hands a

quick spray before you go in.

Introduce Yourself

“Hello, my name is Stephanie, I am here to seeMichael for an interview”. Be clear and precise. No

“erms” or “ahs”.

Your interview starts as soon as you walk throughthe door. Know who you are there to see beforeyou arrive, don’t rummage through papers or yourphone at reception. It’s important to make a goodimpression not just to your interviewers, but alsoto their colleagues because they will be asked

what they thought of you.

Making Eye Contact

When you’re nervous, it’s easy to avoid eyecontact without even realising it, but this canmake you look shifty, lack confidence or evenuntrustworthy. Try to lock eyes with theinterviewer so soon as you see them andmaintain this while shaking hands and

introducing yourself. This being said, do not starethem out! Eye contact should naturally come andgo with the flow of the conversation. If you havemultiple interviewers, do engage with each

individual, not just on

Looking The Part

Appearance is a major factor in how interviewersevaluate you during an interview and is as

important as body language. It’s good practice todress smartly even if the company accepts casual

dress. You are better to overdress than lookscruffy. Never wear jeans or trainers and cover up

your tattoos.

If you’re unsure, ask about the dress code whenarranging your interview.

It is a lot to take in, especially in a tiny 7seconds window, but to summarise:

Smile warmly, engage eye contact and go infor a firm confident handshake. Introduceyourself speaking clearly and being preciseand remember you are there to impresseveryone, not just your interviewer. And

finally, look the part. Feel smart, professionaland comfortable, take a deep breath and

impress

Good luck with your job interview!

If you want support finding roles to applyfor, contact the GB Solutions team andthey’ll be able to get to work finding the

perfect role for you.

Call 01242 412999 or emailinfo@gbsolutions.co.uk.