Handshake: it's more important than you think

Most people are not aware of the importance of a handshake: and not just that you do it, but how you do it.

When you arrive at an interview, and again when you are leaving, you should offer to shake hands with the interviewer, whether or not s/he seems to be about to offer to do so.

It is an indication of sincerity and confidence.

But it's also just as important how you shake hands.

Here are some handshake types to avoid:

• The dead fish handshake: floppy, lifeless and not very pleasant to receive.
• The Queen handshake: just offering two fingers to be held.
• The knuckle squeezer handshake: "I can break your knuckles before you can break mine."
• The pumper handshake: the name describes it well, and your shoulder aches after it.
• The covered handshake: where with one hand you shakes theirs, and with the other you cover their hand. Appropriate in some situations, but not in an interview.
  

I had a client who was invited to a second interview, having shaken hands at the first, presumably to the employers satisfaction. But when they met at the second interview, my client was not expecting to shake hands again, and gave a limp, off guard type of shake, and was told he had lost the job because of it!

Seems unusual, and certainly not many employers would be so up front as to say so, but it probably happens more often than we think.

So be prepared and always give a firm, strong handshake. The "web" between your thumb and forefinger should meet the same place on their hand, hold firmly, but not to tightly, and give a gentle up and down shake. Then let go.

And smile.

Find body language fascinating?

More on body language.

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Interviews: First Impressions

How long does it take to make a first impression?

Less than 30 seconds.

And first impressions are very hard to change.

So think about a job interview.

How far have you got in the interview before the interviewer has formed that first impression?

You have appeared at the door, perhaps shaken hands, but it's unlikely you've even moved in far enough to sit down.

So what is it that's forming this all important first impression?

• How you're dressed.
• How you hold yourself - do you look confident, scared or timid?
• The expression on your face - smiling, frowning, rigid...?

Before you go, make sure you are dressed appropriately. If necessary, get there early enough to go to the restroom to check out your hair etc.

If you are not sure how you hold yourself, or how you look to others, practice in front of a mirror. This may sound silly, but it really works. Get used to seeing yourself arrive in front of the mirror looking as you think the employer would like to see you look as you arrive at the interview.

• holding yourself confidently
• a smile on your face
• ready to shake hands
• not fussing over clothing or whatever you are carrying

And remember to take off outer clothing, and put down anything you are carrying as soon as you are seated. After all, you don't want it to look as if you are on the bus waiting for the next stop!!

So prepare in advance for that all important first impression, and walk in there knowing you are presenting yourself in the best way possible.

More help is available for your interview.

Or perhaps you'd enjoy learning more interview secrets.

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Interview questions: What if I can't think of an answer?

What if you can't think of an answer to an interview question?

Say so!

Firstly there is nothing wrong with taking time to think before answering a question, so long as it's not too long, and you don't do it every time.

You can say something like "good question" or "can I take a moment to think about that" and then take a minute to think.

Or you can just use body language to show you are thinking - looking upwards, perhaps saying "Hmmmm" and just generally use the body language you would at any other time if you were trying to come up with an answer.

If you feel your nerves are showing, you can comment (once only) that you are always nervous at interviews, and most interviewers will give you a little leeway.

Humor can be used in moderation.

When asked at my first ever interview for a career counsellor position, if I knew all about interview skills (the real answer was "no"), since I was at that moment in an interview, I just smiled and said "Doesn't it show?" Whereupon everyone laughed and no-one asked me the question again!

If all else fails you can always ask if you can come back to that question later ... and then hope the interviewer forgets!

Get more interview help.

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Interviews: telling stories is powerful

Before you go to an interview, take the time to think back over your (preferably) work life, and come up with some stories. Think of what skills and abilities you expect this employer to be looking for, and think of stories when you demonstrated these.

Once you have thought of a story, write it down.

Look at it carefully, and dissect all the skills and abilities you can think of that are in it.
Write them down.

For example: Let's say there was a time I dealt with an angry customer on the phone.

Skills:

• handling angry or "difficult" people
• listening
• patience
• empathy
• problem solving
• attention to detail
• initiative
• customer service skills
• communication skills
• explaining clearly and concisely

are just a few of the possible skills from such a situation.

With that story remembered, I can answer behavioral questions on any of these topics using just this one story.

When you think of a story, you don't automatically think of the wide variety of skills involved in it, so take the time to write them down, and be ready to tell powerful, skill based stories to the interviewer.

And don't forget to add the result at the end .... in this case, the customer was satisfied with the resolution to the problem, and thanked me for my help.

Stories + skills + results = a good chance at landing the job!

More interview help.

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Interview Dressing

What to wear to the interview! Interview dressing is always a big consideration.

If you know how people dress at the company where you are interviewing, dress as you would for an important day on the job.

So for a woman who normally wears pants or a skirt and a blouse, if she adds a jacket, or wears a more dressy blouse, this would be find.

For a man who normally wears a golf shirt, upgrade it to a dress shirt and pants. If he normally wears an open neck dress shirt, add a tie.

If you will be wearing a uniform or overalls in the job, dress smartly for the interview.

Make sure everything is clean and neatly pressed, with no cat hairs over dark colors, or scuffs on shoes. Your hair should be neat and a natural looking color, regardless of how you normally wear it.

Since may employers tend to be on the conservative site, it is also a good idea to remove any extreme body piericings and cover large tattoos.

If you are really not sure how to dress, take a trip a few days before the interview, to the place of work around the time people are out and about at lunch time, or leaving in the evening, and note how they dress.

It is perfectly possible you will turn up at your interview looking neat, tidy and very respectable and find yourself being interviewed by someone in khakis and a t-shirt. That's fine.

You've still shown respect for the interview and the interviewer by dressing nicely, and when they offer you the job you can always ask about the dress code so you come on your first day dressed like every one else.

More help to ace that interview.

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Behavioral Interviews

So many people hear about Behavioral Interviews, know little about them, and are terrified they are asked any at an interview.

Don't be scared. Once you know how to answer, they are really simple enough.

Behavioral Interviews can also be called Behavioral Descriptive Interviews and they ask you to recall from you past a time when you did a particular thing, or faced a particular challenge.

For example: Tell me a time when you exhibited excellent customer service under difficult conditions.

or

Describe a time you had to meet a particularly tight deadline.

Your goal, obviously, is to come up with a story from your past that answers the question, but that is not all. You also want to add information that shows you did it well, and that the result was a benefit to your employer.

That's what your potential employers is looking for: "What's in it for me."

Before an interview it's a good idea to think back over your work history and come up with some stories of times you felt good about what you did, or when you overcame a challenge of some kind.

You don't have to write them down, just having them fresh in your mind is enough. Then when the interviewer asks you about a tight deadline, for example, you have a story ready and can answer something like:

"There was a time in my last job when we had to get a proposal in by Monday at 9 am, although the call for proposals had only come out the previous Tuesday. By Friday we were still working on it, so I worked all Saturday and Sunday morning on it, and phoned the director to tell him it was ready for his approval at Sunday lunch time. He approved, I finished off the package and e-mailed it in around midnight on Sunday. We got the contract so it was all worth it."

All the information, nothing unnecessary, and the employer benefit "We got the contract" right at the end where it will be noticed.

So don't sweat Behavioral Interviews, just come up with some great stories beforehand, and enjoy telling the tale of how well you did!

More help to ace the interview can be found here.

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Behavioral Interviews: the STAR format

Behavioral Interviews: the STAR format

The easiest way to make sure you get all the information you need into a behavioural interview answer is to use the STAR format.

You may see this under different acronyms, but all will probably mean the same thing ulitmately.

ST stand for Situation or Task. What was the situation or task you were faced with?
A stands for Action. What action did you take?
And R stands for Result. What was the result, or the employer benefit of what you did?

In normal story telling we often just give the STA - this needed done, I did it - and forget the R - Result. In interviews the Result can be the most important part so don't leave it out.

Here is an example:

The filing needed done - this is the situation
I filed - this is the action

So far, not very interesting.

The result:

My accurate, careful filing made documents and reports available for quick and easy access by all staff.

Wow! That sure makes it sound better.

Don't forget the results. It will probably take a bit of thought to come up with powerful results until you get used to the idea, but the skill is one that will help you write a resume that will get interviews, and then to ace the interview itself.

Remember, you're a STAR!

Want more help answering interview questions?

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Welcome to the Ace Your Interview Blog

Welcome to the Ace Your Interview Blog.

On this blog I will be giving tips and tactics to help you ace your interview and get that job.

There are good ways and not so good ways to answer standard interview questions.

There is "homework" you should do before an interview. And there are some neat tricks that can make all the difference to your interview's outcome.

Keep checking back as I grow an extensive library of interview skills so when you go to talk to that employer, s/he just can't wait to offer you the job!