You’ve received that much-anticipated call: the invitation to a job interview. It’s not an offer, but at least you’ve been given the opportunity to state your case for that open position. You’re ecstatic – and rightfully so.

But now you’re in the company’s lobby on the day of the interview, and those good feelings have been replaced by nerves and butterflies. You worry that you won’t make a good impression. Your hands are turning cold and clammy, and you fret that your initial handshake will feel like you’re offering the interviewer a dead fish.

Time to calm down. Everything you’re experiencing is normal. What you do need to remember, however, is that your interview has already begun. It started the moment you walked into the lobby. Because of that, you need to behave with the utmost professionalism while you’re waiting, even though your pulse may be racing and you feel the urge to begin tapping your foot.

Since you are probably being observed in the lobby (yes, that friendly receptionist could be a paid informant), here are five suggestions to prevent you from undermining your efforts at getting the job before you even meet the hiring manager.

  1. Leave your phone in the car

This is not the time and the lobby is not the place to be making or answering calls, listening to music, playing games, texting, or checking messages. If you want to occupy yourself, look at your resume. It makes sense to be familiar with it in case you’re asked a question about your experience and need to refer to it.

  1. Sit down and rehearse

Don’t try to get rid of nervous energy by walking around the lobby. You could end up looking uptight or impatient. Instead, sit quietly and rehearse your answers to potential questions you might be asked during the interview or questions you will want to ask the hiring manager.

  1. Act patient and cool

Checking your watch or asking the receptionist how much longer you’ll have to wait does not make a good impression. Show your maturity and patience by being courteous and friendly even if the interviewer is running late. You’ll be showing that you know how to handle frustrations, which you’ll doubtless have to do on a regular basis if you get the job.

  1. Be polite (to everyone!)

The receptionist greeted you when you walked in, and a custodian said “Hello” to you as he passed through the lobby. How did you respond? If you’re hoping to work for this company, you should have been just as polite to them as you were to the hiring manager. How you treat others is an indication of how well you will fit into the company’s culture and what it will be like to work with you on a daily basis.

  1. Visualize a successful interview

You will probably be nervous as you sit and wait, but you don’t want to show that during the interview. Rather than thinking about everything that could go wrong, make a mental picture of a successful interview and of you being offered the job. You might not believe in this kind of positive imaging, but many swear by it. Try it. The confidence you’ll gain from it will almost certainly impress the person doing the hiring.

Take these tips to your next interview. And as for those cold, clammy palms, visit the restroom, rinse your hands in cool water, and dry them with a paper towel. Your handshake will contribute to your good first impression.

Need more help securing your next job?

Talk to us. HCR Personnel Solutions is a leading manufacturing recruitment agency in Southwestern Ontario, recruiting top professionals for exceptional career opportunities.

 

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