Job Interview Tips: 3 Opportunities to Make a Great Impression in the Interview

In your job interview , the details matter. The big picture is often the same, in terms of the process, but how you handle each individual step tells the interviewer a tremendous amount about you and how you’ll approach the job. Here are 3 opportunities for you to stand out from your competition:

Presentation

Make a great first impression by dressing well—usually that means you should try to aim for conservative but stylish. What you want is to look like you’re on top of the trends while avoiding things that could potentially offend an interviewer (like a tattoo) or distract from your message (like strong scents or a low-cut blouse). I think pants are fine for women to wear, though.

Watch your body language , too. Lean forward, smile, be calm—no nervous, fidgety gestures.

Overall, you want your confidence and professionalism to shine through. If you’re unsure about how you’re coming across in an interview situation, make the investment in a personal interview coaching session.

Preparation

You know you’ve got to do your research on the company before your interview—do you know why? It’s because (1) you don’t want to waste your allotted interview time on things you can find out on your own; and (2) it helps you formulate in-depth, knowledgeable questions (asking questions is important), come up with targeted answers for typical interview questions, and create your 30-60-90-day plan.

Go through your brag book and highlight things that you think will really play well with this interviewer at this company. When the time is right in the interview, you’ll be presenting job-relevant information—it’s evidence that counts.

Planning

Create a 30-60-90-day action plan for what you’ll do in the first 90 days on the job. It doesn’t have to be complicated…it just has to show that you’ve thought about the position and how you’ll be successful at it for this particular company. But remember, it’s not a one-size-fits-all document: a 30-60-90-day plan is most effective when you include company-specific details that customize it.

Don’t forget to coach your references! Give your references a heads-up that you’re going for this interview, and maybe even remind them of particular instances or qualities that will be especially helpful for this position. Good references can be the finishing touch that convince the hiring manager to offer you the job.