According to Business Insider, you only have a seven second window to make a first impression.
First impressions can be lasting, so making a good impression can make or break you, especially when it comes to landing your dream job.

Here are some key points to remember when it comes to making a good first impression:

1. Be on time. This may seem obvious, but when you are late, it gives off the impression that the other persons time doesn’t matter to you. I am guilty of being notorious late, so what helps me to be on time is to plan backwards and arrive 10 minutes early. That way if I do get caught up, I have a time buffer.

2. Dress for success. We can fully understand that people don’t necessarily think they need to ‘suit up’ to meet a recruiter, in fact, I have previously been on the other side of an interview with a recruitment consultant, and I did wear jeans (cringe!). Now that I am a bit older, and I hope wiser, I see that regardless of who is interviewing you or what job you are interviewing for, it is important to make a good first impression, which includes making sure you don’t look too casual.

3. Be friendly (to everyone you meet). When you walk in for an interview or appointment, greet the person at the front desk with a smile and ask how they are doing. In an office environment, the person at the front desk is the oracle. It is very likely that they will let your interviewer know if you were rude to them.

4. Confidence is key. In my previous role as a Recruitment Consultant, I shook a lot of hands and met a lot of new people every day. I don’t know about you, but there is nothing worse than a handshake that feels like a dead fish. If you have a firm handshake, make eye contact, and smile, you will come across as confident even if you are nervous.

5. Focus your attention. Even though I have interviewed hundreds of people myself, it still makes me nervous to think of being on the other side of the interview. What helps me overcome that is to focus my attention on the interviewer. If you are genuinely interested in what they are saying and you ask them questions, it will ease the attention off of you and onto them.

6. Say thank you. When you are leaving, a simple ‘thank you for taking the time to meet with me’ can go a long way. Another great way to earn some brownie points, connect on LinkedIn and send a follow up email thanking them for their time. If you have the receptionists email, it won’t hurt to write them a quick thank you email either.