Art of Manliness - Latest Comments in Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Nasser Albarqan — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 08:54:11 -0000

Actually, the title tend to describing how to adopt or gain these steps and become part of your behavior, so you will get the chance to passing the job interview.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Matt — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:40:40 -0000

Every job that I have applied for I have gotten an offer for - even if I ended up not working there. One thing that I have learned to do is to simply act confident. Go into the interview with a plan and stick to it. I always research a company before applying for a position so that I know what kind of things will be brought up in the interview.

When asked specific questions sometimes I will reply with, "That's a great question...) and then continue with my answer. It goes into the whole shining the spotlight on the other person thing. People like to know that they are asking god questions. I am also not afraid to "think" about something for a little bit. For example, if asked a tough question I will think for a few seconds before answering. I think about how to word my answer sometimes. I also think about what they are asking and why they are asking that question. Thinking makes them know that you think things through rather than just react.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Sean — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:32:58 -0000

I made sure to read all this before an interview I had yesterday and the interview went great! With the same exact credentials I've had employers turn me down without a bat of the eye; but yesterday my interviewer said I would be successful no matter where I apply. Must have done something right!

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Ben — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 21:39:33 -0000

The handshake tip is a really good one, I still remember the last time I had a really good handshake. A good handshake can take you a long way in life and really make people remember you.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Jazzy — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:33:35 -0000

Always, email the person after the interivew and thank them for thier time. This will put you back in thier mind, and they will think you are a class act.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Bone — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:48:13 -0000

Brett, you are right. Many people forget or ignore these simple concepts. Considering the article took about two minutes to read, it's a worthy reminder.
For those who have to rip on this article just to feel better about yourselves, well, don't be dicks, be men!

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

TX Moose — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:27:38 -0000

There are many, many great comments here about interviewing and conversational etiquette. However the article is about FIRST impressions. People as a whole, base these first impressions with their senses, sight, hearing, touch, smell. We are engaged, many times, by what we first see or hear, not by the experience of what comes after. Your FIRST impression is the way you have dressed, your confident and sincere smile as well as your handshake, and clear speaking all add to your first impression. From that FIRST impression, the person is then engaged from there on, You can be properly dressed, look confident and give a great smile and handshake, but if you forgot to brush your teeth and breathe your dragon breath as you speak, your FIRST impression is going to make the person reluctant to engage in conversation with you. And if you tried to cover it up with cologne, and you are trying to impress the person by using their name 50 times, and you ask them 10 questions about their interests...can you see how your FIRST impression tainted the rest of the experience?

Remember... first is FIRST. (Yes- I am being captain obvious).

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Brian Parramore — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:54:15 -0000

The handshake is very important in making a first impression. Firm, not trying to squeeze their bones together. Always look a man directly in the eye during a handshake, as this shows proper respect and shows you're serious. This article is very informative to those who are lost, or for those of us who had to learn how to be a man on our own.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Elaikae Blackhall — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:33:54 -0000

These are very good tips to be used in everyday conversations... I do get introduced to multiple people, I admit, I am not the greatest at first impressions unless I am at a dinner party and dressed up... But I did notice your symbols for apostrophes are a bit incorrect, as they are not even apostrophes... Thank you for the tips...

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Chris — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:11:10 -0000

I always find it odd that interview tips miss one extremely important point: YOU are also interviewing THEM.

I go into an interview with the attitude "Why would I want to work here?" I have valuable, marketable skills and so I not only mirror my interviewer, but I also push them a bit to find out what makes this such a great place to work.

Interviewers can sense confidence, and if you walk in with your hat in your hand and an attitude of deference, I think it hurts your chances more than it helps.

If you've got good skills, make THEM impress you, not the other way around. I've never felt the need to prove myself excessively to an employer, as I generally receive several job offers within a short timeframe.

It's a potential business arrangement, and you should realize that you are on equal footing with the potential employer.

I once had an interviewer drill me mercilessly, making unreasonable requests and trying to test my technical skills on subjects that are difficult to demonstrate, and even having the gall to question me about their proprietary internal products! After about 10 minutes of grilling I stood up, shook his hand and said, "I'm sorry, this isn't the opportunity I'm seeking. Thanks for your time."

The interviewer backpedalled rapidly, apologizing profusely, but I just nodded, repeated myself, and left.

Do this once in your life..it'll boost you up tremendously!

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Jon the Columbus Seo — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:38:26 -0000

I don't really think there are rules. It all depends on who you're talking to. If someone wants me to kiss their butt for a sale then they can kiss mine. That's not me and I don't associate myself with people like that. I would rather lose the sale and move to the next person. Because the needy customer will always cost you more in the long-run.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Marcus — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:12:31 -0000

These are all great posts that definately make a difference. I'd like to recommend one more, which may be extreme... but in this time any edge helps. I used pheromones at my last job interview... and got the job. Pheromones work because they create trust at a sub-consious level. There are sites that offer free pheromone samples... I recommend getting some for your next in person interview.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

melina — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:54:46 -0000

Very good tips, I would also consider the importance of making eye contact :-)

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Vicki — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:57:08 -0000

I'd like to add one important point. BE NICE TO EVERYONE YOU MEET IN THE ORGANIZATION!

I worked as a front desk receptionist for a construction company for a while. They decided to do some hiring. They handed me a stack of blank applications and told me to give one to everyone who came in to apply. The potential employees filled them out while waiting in the lobby then gave them back to me.
I was supposed to write my first impression of them in the upper corner before setting them up for the interview. I was supposed to also say whether I would be comfortable if this person came into my home to do some work.

I gave a good review to most of the people, but there were a couple of guys who were extremely rude. They were upset because they were not going to be interviewed that same day and thought that by being rude they would get their way. Little did they know it probably cost them their chance at the job.

You never know who has a say in whether you get hired or not.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Tony — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:19:13 -0000

All good tips, although they are common to other sites. I liked the last tip about asking the interviewer personal questions that relate to the company. I will definitely be using that one.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Rich — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:42:22 -0000

I've been on both sides of the interviewing desk a fair amount, and would agree that a surprising number of people don't know these basics. I'd like to nod enthusiastically at a couple of points brought up in the comments. Do know something about the organization and department you're interviewing in. This is very basic! When I'm talking with someone and it's clear we are just another place in which the applicant is giving their standard spiel, that's it, I just want the interview over as soon as courtesy allows. And don't overuse my name--of course call me by name, but not stuck like a clove in an orange in every sentence. As Brett suggested, it brings on the salesman vibe awfully fast.

In general, I think a lot of what goes into a successful interview--assuming that you have the qualifications, or close to them--is building rapport without obviously using rapport-building techniques. No one likes to be confronted with the fact that they're being manipulated (see the salesman vibe). I think this is more likely to happen if you have been, long before you sent in your resume or started a job search, cultivating genuine interest in other people. If you go in with that basic attitude and there is still no rapport, then that's a good sign that the organization is not for you. Even in these hard economic times, you're interviewing them as well as vice versa.

Oh, and one more particular thing: Assume you're being observed as soon as you come in sight of the employer's front door, and treat everyone you encounter with courtesy, kindness, and respect. If you're a gentleman you already know to do this. And the kind of organization that you want to work for will notice and value such things.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Nalle Puhelin — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:52:45 -0000

According to the html header the text should be encoded as UTF-8 but appears to be ISO-8859-1 instead. I find this rather unprofessional and definitely not manly.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Jason — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:31:33 -0000

Company knowledge

I interview people for a major company, and I would say that one of my biggest things is how much do the people I'm interviewing already know about the company. If you come in blind, and not knowing what you're getting in to, they're likely to pick up on that. When someone I'm interviewing doesn't know much or anything about the company, I tend to think that they're not really that interested in the job. However, if you come in with an already developed, healthy knowledge of the company, they're going to be impressed by that. It will show that you've done some research, and that you've come in prepared.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

metavitae.com — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:05:40 -0000

Humor. Generally avoid, I'd say.
-Can be a very dicey proposition. If you really see rapport, especially if They start to mirror you, or there's nodding, can work Really well if done lightly.

However, I've had it blow up more than once. There are some interviewers out there with no soul, apparently.

Whatevs.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Greg — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:12:58 -0000

@Alpha

Also look around the office, if you see hockey memorablila and you're a hockey fan, mention something to bond over that. Even a rival team, say you're a Rangers fan and the interviewer is a Flyers fan, you'll have something to break the ice.

Same with those with Military insignia, even something as innocuous as a picture of their family at Disneyland, the dog doing something cute.

The idea is not only to break the ice but to make the interviewer see you as human and a potential interesting and nice person. Over the years I've hired less qualified people because I've connected with them. A Harvard degree doesn't make for an interesting person - if I'm spending a good portion of my life at the office I would like it to be with pleasant (for the most part) people.

(disclaimer - I'm not picking specifically on Harvard, honest.)

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Greg — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:07:16 -0000

Writing (not on Word_ the thank-you note NOT as an e-mail, using real paper. A package of Crane linen or bond isn't all that expensive as are not the envelopes.

In this day of digital everything something via snail mail, a hand written letter via snail mail will make one stand from the crowd.

Save the cute toys, internet slang and lingo for face-book. I actually got one e-mail saying I was the "snizzle." While I thought the applicant was "hire-able" that one word took him out of the running. Am I a snob? Possibly, but why would I want to hire someone that wouldn't fit into my department. He can go off and become Snoop Dog after work.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Besplatne Stvari — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:34:51 -0000

How to do this is tricky. If youre experienced in the field, give some examples that show youve been through some of the same things as they have. If a friend works there, offer a quick (appropriate) quip about your history. Id say that its sort of like getting a drink at a new bar.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Video Youtube >>>> — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:34:03 -0000

Thanks for reminding us to smile.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

alphapage — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:13:19 -0000

Back to the manliness issue...

In interviewing I find that nothing gets you to the short list of candidates more effectively than establishing a subtle sense of fraternity with the fellow interviewing you. In today's p.c. world this can't be done overtly or in a exclusionary/discriminatory fashion, but that subtle hint that you'll be a good man to fit into the team, get the work done, and perhaps have a beer with after a big project can be important to a lot of people.

How to do this is tricky. If you're experienced in the field, give some examples that show you've been through some of the same things as they have. If a friend works there, offer a quick (appropriate) quip about your history. I'd say that it's sort of like getting a drink at a new bar.

Re: Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips

Ganesh — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 04:23:47 -0000

"Be yourself!"