Presenting yourself in a job interview

Luna Schrøder

Dec 13, 2022

There are many components that make a good interview, and lucky for us: there are many aspects that we can prepare for. One of them is how we choose our appearance for the day.

Clothing Choice

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." People will have made up their minds about your impression of them within the first seven seconds of meeting. Therefore knowing the company and adjusting your style to make a great first impression can be a good idea to give you an extra boost of confidence and help you fit in with your potential future employer.

Typically, family-run medium-sized businesses with strong traditions tend to be more conservative when it comes to fashion. The same goes for corporate groups, where conservative, sophisticated clothes make a better impression than dressing too casually. Colors and accessories can add to this: you can highlight the sophistication of your clothes by avoiding flashy colors and selecting understated elegant accessories. This does not mean that you should disguise yourself: make use of your own personal style and make suitable adjustments that will fit the occasion. No matter what the style - make sure your clothes are in an impeccable state and well-ironed. And remember, comfort is an important factor too. You should feel comfortable and be able to move naturally in your chosen outfit.

The Greeting

Immediately after this first conscious or unconscious check of your clothes, the next point that plays a role in your appearance comes in the next few seconds: The handshake to greet you. Of course, you don't just greet your counterpart with a "hello". Give your full name, clearly and friendly. The handshake should be sincere and firm - not crushing the fingers and not a dead fish - something in between. You can practice this beforehand with friends or family if you feel uncertain.

The start

Once you've been taken to the meeting room you will likely be offered something to drink. Accept it. It will no put anyone out, you seem more comfortable and it may become a true savior if you are to talk a lot or the air is dry. So if you get a rough throat or even a slight coughing stimulus, it is better to have the water glass ready in front of you than to have to interrupt the flow of the conversation with a request for water.

As soon as the actual interview starts, you should retrieve your documents and offer them again to your contact person. Most likely, they will have printed out the documents they consider important for the interview. However, it still makes a good impression if you bring your application folder with you again.

Present yourself

Early on in the interview, you will get the chance to talk about yourself. Ensure you have thought beforehand about which aspects you want to present and highlight, as this gives you the opportunity to expand on vital sections of your CV by talking about individual stages and projects which are related to your future position. Practice this until you can present yourself confidently and concisely without thinking about it. This will give you confidence and you will amaze your interview partner with your self-assured nature in such a high-pressure situation.

How you talk

Make sure you do not speak too quickly, it will make you seem nervous. While you probably are, it is always best to not show it, so instead speak clearly and conscientiously. Avoid technical terms foreign words and idioms whose meanings you only vaguely know. Also, avoid company abbreviations from your current job or general abbreviations that are not commonly used, they will confuse your interviewing partner and stall the conversation.

Make sure to ask questions: this way you present yourself as informed and interested, as well as it gives you a chance to learn more about the position and the company. Of course, the largest part will be based on you answering questions, these may be of a purely professional nature, related to your previous positions, company and tasks, but they can also be of a psychological nature. There may be no right or wrong answers, so thinking on your feet will be important. Often the purpose of such questions is not the answer itself, but to understand how you think, develop mental constructs, understand abstract ideas and can argue and convey them.

Most importantly: be authentic! Anything else will simply not do you justice, because you know you're a catch. Now all you need to do is show it in the interview.