career trivia
Job interviews:
It’s all about
first impressions
W
e’ve all heard this at least once in our lives: “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” In fact, when you’re interviewing for a job, it is all about first impressions. So if you like the job you applied for and you want to get it, you should make some effort to look the part and leave a lasting positive
impression. In fact, Bayt.com’s latest poll on the Influence of Personal Appearance on Hiring Decisions revealed that 83.4% of MENA professionals link appearance to success and 76.4% believe that employers make a decision based on a candidate’s physical appearance. In addition to
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issue 18
2013
that, good personal grooming and style show your interest in the position you’ve applied for (27.5%), and your good character (24.8%). More often than not, there’s no second chance to make a first impression, and it takes no more than 30 seconds for a person to form an opinion of you. First impressions are vital to the success of your job interview and when you’ve only got a short time to sell yourself, you need to communicate your professionalism effectively, both verbally and non-verbally. To make sure you don’t end your job interview before it has really begun, here are some do’s and don’ts from Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 Job Site, to help you leave a good first impression at a job interview: