Interviews are tough. There is so much going on, so much to remember and on top of it all, your nerves and adrenalin can play havoc with your focus. There are some people who thrive in interview situations but for most of us, this part of the job-hunting process takes a lot of preparation and commitment. One of the areas that is often overlooked, after all the researching, online presence-enhancing and practice questions have been done, is that of actually making sure you’re memorable. You may well perform perfectly at an interview; you answer the questions well, you ask the right ones yourself, you don’t mumble or stutter or fidget, but do you do anything that makes them remember you above all other candidates? When you’re up against so many other interviewees, you need to pull something out of the bag that will make sure that you stick in the interviewer’s mind, for the right reasons.
Connect from the get-go
How you greet your interviewer(s) is crucial. Of course, the handshake goes without saying, but are you paying attention to the other aspects of the greeting. A firm handshake is great, but without the eye-contact and the warm smile, you’ve missed the first opportunity to connect with your interviewer(s). The value of this physical contact shouldn’t be overlooked so make sure your greeting is good one.
Bring something personal into a response
We’re not advocating that you tell them your life story, but rather avoid providing robotic, clearly rehearsed responses. There will be questions that do not require any personal element to them, and some that require a very ‘professional’ response, but when one comes up that you can relate to yourself in a more personal way, then go for it. This personal aspect makes you seem more human and more unique. If you can tell a story about yourself that is highly relevant to the question asked, for example, something about a steep learning curve early on in your career, it will endear you to your interviewer(s). Be careful about where to draw the line between the right amount of personal info and too much information, though.
Back everything up
It’s easy to state things about yourself that you think the interviewer wants to hear, but without back-up, these declarations will go in one ear and out the other. Every skill, quality, attribute you present yourself as possessing must be justified. If you can do this, your interviewer(s) will sit up and take notice.
Thank them properly
Just like the greeting, a proper thank you goes a long way. Make sure everyone who interviewed you gets the same treatment and don’t forget to say thank you and goodbye to anyone else you might have interacted with during your time there.
Making yourself memorable in an interview often comes down to being yourself more so than nerves normally allow. Getting past these nerves is crucial to performing perfectly in an interview situation.
We hope you find this post useful and if you want to see more like this, or posts on any area of job-search, get in touch!