Interview: A Success Journey to a Successful Professional Career ( Series 2) - Training & Development

Interview and the Three Major Elements

The most important fact about the interview process is the first impression that a candidate scripts in the mind of the employer in just initial five minutes.

Research shows that initial first impressions are made up of the following 

Three Elements:

1. 55% visual impact, i.e. dress, facial expressions and body language;
2. 40% tone of voice; communication skills: verbal and nonverbal
3. 5% from what you actually say. All is not lost if you are very nervous at the outset but try to create the best first impression you can - a warm smile and firm handshake will help.

When you are being interviewed it is very important that you give out the right body signals as body speaks more than words. During interviews one should always look attentive; a bad body language can disqualify the image of an employee in the very primary rounds of interaction. As it is well said, "face is the index of mind." We should never forget that, one of the most burning questions in the mind of the interviewer will almost certainly be ‘Will this person fit in?' Therefore, if you are perceived as being a good fit with the prevailing corporate style and culture you will be strengthening your case and it wouldn't be wrong to state, that knowledge of Kinesics will add to the overall persona of your personality. The success graph of the deserving candidate is been sketched at the moment he enters the interview venue or the interview room, his body language clearly depicts his mental attitude. The positive body language can even be judged by a novice interviewer not very familiar with the kinetic traits.

The initial five minutes can make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. The starting point for any interview preparation is to try and understand oneself. First impressions are crucial! The employer obviously believes you are qualified to do the job, which is why they have asked you to an interview. But still many interviewees fail because of poor communication skills, which is not only the content of your speech, but includes other non-verbal behavior such as eye contact, posture, facial expression, tone of voice, and gestures.

Get all of your preparation out of the way well in advance, and allow plenty of time to get to the interview so that you arrive in a cool calm state. Arriving 15-20 minutes early is appropriate. One should be well prepared about the location and required time in order to deliver the best results. The interviewer is looking for a candidate who is interested, enthusiastic, and confident. Professional appearance is extremely important, when you first meet the interviewer, give a firm handshake with greet and smile and let the interviewer take the lead when directing you towards their office and once you are in their office by waiting for them to offer you a seat.

Confidence is the magical word, if you are confident then you will be relaxed, calm and organized and able to talk lucidly about yourself, you will be able to look the interviewer in the eyes, you will not slouch or fidget - you will have the potential to clinch the job. Along with the confidence one need to be very particular about dressing sense. Try and understand all aspects, be it your appearance, personality, likes, dislikes, strengths or weaknesses. Many people think that, interview is a place where one should always speak of positives, but speaking about weaknesses is not negative as it enables us to reason for self improvement.

Interview & 3 C's Principle: 

                                All three are correlated to each other and hence work as a bond.

Kavita Thapliyal

Business Communication and Soft Skills Trainer & Consultant

Web:  www.visionsahead.com

These Series of Articles can also be viewed at http://www.articlesbase.com/interviews-articles/interviewa-success-journey-to-a-successful-professional-career-706363.html