Being in a job interview may be considered a stressful experience especially if you are not ready and do not know what to do. It can be more stressful if a person is not used to being in such situation. However, a job seeker does not have a choice, but to face it as it is normally part of selling your capabilities and yourself as a whole. It is true when they say that the first impression lasts as it is part of the interviewer’s evaluation towards an applicant if he or she is can be a potential candidate for a job. Yes, it is stressful, mind-blowing, and knee-shaking experience to prove your skills and qualification through oral portrayal. However, there are so many ways on how to show your competence as an applicant by knowing how to project a professional image during job interviews. In this case, an applicant may project his or her good first impression, which can be a good foundation towards winning the job.
Having a professional image is very important, yet very simple to practice. Here are some tips that truly help a lot in building your professional image; keeping your shoulders back while standing up straight will make a very big difference when an applicant is making his first impression. Practice a good shake hand. This is part of building your first impression and crucial within the first few seconds of meeting your interviewer. Remember, a bad handshake is a bad start, so it is better have someone who can help you practice a good one.
While having a good handshake, make an eye contact with your interviewer and smile. This kind of attitude conveys the accepting manner towards others. Keep your eye contact at intervals to ensure that you are not staring directly as it can be a discomfort for the interviewer. For example, while standing straight and handshaking with the interviewer make sure that your smile is not just projected by your lips. The whole face should portray a positive outlook that represents you as a person of good character.
There are times that you will receive a business card from someone and if you are in this situation, you have to leave the card on the table or desk in front of you so you can make sure that you will get the person’s name correct during a meeting. If this will make you uncomfortable, make sure to memorize the person’s name correctly and avoid mispronunciation.
When sitting, sit up straight and do not slouch. This is a silent message saying that you do not care being in a situation with someone. Besides, sitting up straight will make you look smarter while the good posture enhances the way you carry your clothes.
These tips are basically for you to establish a good first impression, but in addition to these, you should also be prepared mentally. Prior getting into an interview, you should have your plans ahead of time so you can have the mindset of what you need to accomplish and how you would to accomplish them. Be confident and be ready to expect the unexpected so you can handle them accordingly.
Specifically for men, there are some tips that can be followed to project a professional image during interview. Trimming facial hair can also be a plus factor; beard or mustache should be neatly shaved to attain defined and crisp edges, a barbershop professional will help a lot.
Being nervous during the job interview is normal, but along with it, our mouth often becomes dry that can cause for a bad breath. To avoid this, be sure to brush your teeth using toothpaste with long-lasting effect or, you can bring a mint candy with you to keep your breath fresh. Wear a well-fit suit with patterned with slight grey or brown. Wearing black may appear funerary and are not considered a professional one.
Converse professionally. If you are not an expert on this, you may study a person whom you admire. Take note of the actions that she or he does, which differs from your actions. It is like listening and practicing best practices from a person who is better than you. You have to stay focused while keeping a god pace with fewer breaks. You have to sound confident. For example, talking in a good pace will like lessen your tendency to stutter or say inappropriate things.
Generally for women, keeping a neat hair is basically one of the tips that can be added along with mentioned professional projections. Also, a simple perfume that does not have strong scent can be a plus factor as wearing the strong ones can be overpowering.
This may be on the final list of our tips, but this is one of the most important things – keeping a good personal hygiene. Personal hygiene is the very first start of projecting a professional image. Taking care of your personal hygiene will increase your self-confidence. An example would be making sure that there is no food that is stuck in your teeth, no yellow teeth or body odor. Personal hygiene is also a confidence booster.
No matter what job we are applying for, it is very important to project a professional a professional image. This would bring you one step closer to winning the job, hence transforming yourself into a one package; a human package who is capable, competitive and the most qualified person for the position. Projecting a professional image do not ends during interviews session and after winning the job, this image must be possessed continuously so as to feel more confident while working, which opens the door for promotions and more future professional opportunities.
References
Canadajobs.com: Job Interviews: Hot Tips for Projecting Professionalism at Your Next Job Interview. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2013, from http://www.canadajobs.com/articles/viewarticle.cfm?ArticleID=1254
How to Project a Professional Image | eHow. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2013, from http://www.ehow.com/how_2122436_project-professional-image.html
Lowe, N. (2011, January 24). 5 Tips to Projecting a Strong Professional Image. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from http://www.shanghaidolls.org/blog/183-5-tips-to-projecting-a-strong-professional-image-
