Home 7 tips for impressing employers
News

7 tips for impressing employers

AFP
business
Photo Credit: Antonioguillem/Adobe Stock

Want to impress a potential new employer and get a place in their new up and coming business? These tips are here to help.

Work on developing a firm handshake

Don’t offer a sweaty or flimsy hand. Instead, make sure to give a firm handshake at interviews or when meeting with prospective employers, that includes one to two pumps from your elbow to your hand. This demonstrates confidence and sets a good tone for your interview.

Be serious

You could seal your fate if you approach an initial interview too casually. Especially if you do this with a screening interview from the company’s human resources department. When you are seeking a job you should treat every interview you have as if it is your only opportunity to sell yourself to the recruiter.

Practice

If you are invited to a job interview for a position you really aren’t interested in, you should still attend the interview. It will give you valuable interview practice and help you gain contacts for other job opportunities in the future. You should hire a CV writer to increase your chances of getting more interviews.

Be enthusiastic

When attending interviews, make sure to have a positive attitude. Most interviewers will not consider anyone who has a negative attitude or appears to need to be talked into a job. The interview is your chance to sell yourself, and your positive approach shows what you will be bringing to the office every day. A friendly demeanor and smile will go a long way towards impressing the interviewer and company you are applying at.

Ask questions

When you are interviewing for a new job, it is critical to have a few questions planned to ask the prospective employer. Some of the questions you could ask include: Do you have any concerns that I can clear up to be considered a leading candidate? What is the most important thing that I can do within the first 90 days of my working on the job to help the company? What are some of the biggest challenges?  What to do you consider the ideal background to be for this position?

Tell a story

The interviewer will want to know about your experience and skills, but will also want to know more about you. Don’t just give routine answers to the questions you are asked. Instead, use anecdotes or stories about yourself to answer questions. Interesting people are remembered. Prove your worth by tailoring your stories to address the major concern of the interview: What can you do for our company?

Show restraint

During your interview, the things that you don’t say might be just as important as the things that you do say. As a general rule, you should not discuss benefits and money, especially at a first interview. You should know already if the job fits your qualifications. Don’t badmouth past employers. Complainers are not hired by companies. Don’t mention part-time jobs or outside career goals. Employers are searching for individuals who want to be a part of their company for a long time.

Support AFP




Multimedia

 

AFP

AFP

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.

Latest News

democrats republicans
Trump's America

Poll: Too many of us would still support candidates accused of bad stuff, just because

mother duck
Local

Harrisonburg: PD solves the case of the missing ‘Mother Duck’ statue

Three twentysomethings have been charged in the theft of the “Mother Duck” statue that is usually stationed outside the Explore More Discovery Museum in Downtown Harrisonburg.

elmer virginia tech
Virginia

Virginia Tech veterinary docs save Elmer, the smart, stubborn pet pig from Covington

Elmer, a pet pig from Covington, was in obvious agony – the docs would find out later, due to a swollen bladder caused by a sandy buildup of minerals that left no way for urine to pass. 

aj gracia uva baseball swing
Etc.

UVA Baseball: AJ Gracia goes under the knife to repair labrum issue

swimming
Etc.

UVA Swimming brings home 13 national titles at 2026 Toyota National Championships

earth planet ecology environment recycle world
Trump's America

Earl Zimmerman: What’s making news in climate, environment, energy

police arrest night crime accident
Local

Waynesboro: Two people injured in assault downtown; details scarce