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Victoria Walmsley Operations DirectorFinancial Services Temporary, Contract Interim and Change Management
TAG | Interview advice
30
The Connection Breaker… ‘Who have you met so far’?
Comments | Posted by Tara Wallace in Secretarial and Support
Picture this: you’re at a job interview, talking to your second interviewer, and all of a sudden they ask ‘so who have you met so far’?
Then you realise you can’t actually say their name, because you’d forgotten it already, and it was gone the minute after they told you. You freeze, and panic, and straight away any connection you had with your interviewer is gone… broken.
You would be surprised at the number of people that forget a person’s name just after meeting them. The simple act of using someone’s name can have a dramatic effect on your success in an interview. However, many people struggle with this simple interview etiquette.
So, how should this be tackled?
To find a solution, we must ask one simple question: why is it that we tend to forget such basic, and yet vital, information?
In an interview scenario it can prove difficult to remember an additional team member’s name due to the obvious fact that you are so focused on the initial meeting, and undoubtedly running on a bit of adrenaline. Your handshake, body language, facial expressions, what you are saying and how you are presenting it, are all running through your mind… it is certainly easy to see why the basics, such as remembering a name, slip by the way-side.
Still, this is no excuse. After all the hard work that you have put into securing the interview, its essential that you make a lasting impression. Winning over your interviewer, building rapport, and impressing them with your personality is all part of the game.
Here are some hints and tips to fix that person in your mind, and add that little extra personal touch to your interview:
- Repeat the names of the people in conversation immediately after meeting them
- Always repeat their name at the end of the interview to make a lasting impression and create a familiar environment
- Write down names of interviewers between your interviews so that it sticks in your mind
- Keep any business cards out on the table, this way their name is in your eye line
- If you have forgotten, then show the initiative and ask them again.
So, if you want you keep that all-important connection with your interviewer… the connection that you have worked so hard to gain… and the connection that will secure you that dream job…
Engrave your interviewer’s name into your brain from the moment you meet them.
The arrival of the new Sex And The City movie sees girls scrambling for the latest fashion accessories and 2010 summer looks. While you may fancy yourself as a bit of a Carrie Bradshaw in real life, be careful not to take this style literally when dressing for a job interview with a potential new employer…especially when it’s the job of your dreams.
Those 4 inch blue Manolo Blanik shoes may look the part but tripping over in front of your potential new boss could be the worst start and put you off for the rest of the interview. That’s not to say you cant learn from any of the SATC girls. Think a sharper, classier and more polished version…of YOURSELF and in the words of the SATC queen herself, Carrie Bradshaw, ‘Some labels are best left in the closet’.
And that’s not due to George’s cost cutting exercise but quite literally the glorious sunshine we have been experiencing in the last few days.
Whilst I was on the train this morning, I found myself staring at those unfortunate few who thought it would be a great idea to fall asleep in the sun without any suntan lotion. Having received a couple of awkward glances back, I moved on to then thinking how unfair it is that City men still had to conduct business in full ‘suit’ attire, whilst women had more flexibility in dressing more appropriately to accommodate the warmer weather.
I was reading the style magazine from a leading Sunday paper a few weeks back and remember an article on a new fashion trend of suit, which comes with ¾ length trousers. This would be accompanied by a fashionable sandal. Although it didn’t look too bad, I was thinking how my clients would react to seeing me turn up to a meeting dressed in this new fashion? But then I realised, how would I respond to seeing a candidate arrive for me to interview in a pair of Jesus sandals?
Warning: maintain professionalism at all times!!
Gordon Brown has apologised for the “bigot woman” comment, he made on Wednesday in Rochdale. This immediately struck a chord with me. Sometimes I overhear consultants talking about candidates who have performed exceptionally well during interviews, however once the interview has ended or they leave the building, they risk ruining all of their hard work by letting their guard down.
For example: being rude to the receptionist on the way in / out of the interview. Becoming too informal with the interviewer. It is so easy for this to occur, however we must always be fully aware of our personal or corporate reputation at all times!! Remember that more often than not you represent a company or in Mr. Browns instance, a party. By forgetting your corporate reputation for a split second, you run the risk of tarnishing your reputation as well as that of your business. It can take a lifetime to build up a good corporate or brand image, but only a moment for it all to come crashing down irreparrably.
With the general election less than a week away, it will be interesting to see the impact this comment has on Labour’s popularity!
