Creating a confident, competent impression from the minute you walk through the door right down to the moment you leave the room can be tricky. However, it is within your ability to master the art and skill of successful interviews with a bit of focused preparation. The secret to being the best match for the job—giving you a distinct advantage over other candidates—lies in your finesse at depicting a confident attitude, which translates into a calm, professional demeanour.

This article will look at how to maximise your impact and get the best outcome in any interview situation. Included here are some practical techniques that you can master, enabling you to communicate in a way that lets your true personality shine through. By sharpening your personal skills and adopting a more professional approach, you will have the advantage needed for a successful interview so that you get the job you want right now.

Confident and positive first impressions

Let’s face it, interviews are not something that we do every day. We may only have five interviews in a lifetime, and, like public speaking, our lack of practice can make these occasions feel uncomfortable and unnatural. We’ve all experienced strange contortions of our facial muscles or awkward, overexaggerated hand and arm movements, which under more relaxed situations would not occur (for example, nervously tapping a foot, biting a lip, or even hunching our shoulders in an attempt to shrink in size—in the hope of disappearing like a turtle into its shell). There’s no harm, therefore, in having a few ideas on how to make the most of a challenging situation. Below are some steps that you can take so that you come across as your absolute best.

The handshake

When you shake hands, the last thing it should be is memorable—if it is, then there’s something wrong. The most memorable aspects of your handshake should simply be good eye contact, a tall posture, and a genuine smile. Practise a grip that doesn’t linger excessively, isn’t too limp, and isn’t overbearing (no knuckle breakers).

What to wear

It seems too obvious to even mention, but check that you’re well groomed and your clothing is clean, tidy, and appropriate for the occasion. And if you stand out from the crowd, ask yourself if it could be for all the wrong reasons (a garish tie, cheap jewellery, nightclub outfit). In a survey of NHS consultants (Sullivan K, personal communication, Seven things I wish I’d known before becoming a consultant, 2009), most respondents recommended that good candidates “dress professionally—neat, tidy, and conventional.” A dark blue suit with a white shirt and black shoes is always the safest option.

Eye contact

Engage your listeners by establishing good eye contact with everyone on the interview panel. Rather than staring, eyes fixated on just one person, remember to acknowledge everyone, moving your eyes around the table and spending at least six seconds with each person.

Posture

An open, relaxed posture not only affects how confident you feel, but also how confident others perceive you to be. If your body is acting confidently, your mind will become more confident too. Try it now: sit up straight, shoulders dropped, allowing your chest to open by bringing your shoulder blades together slightly. Look ahead and up a bit—and smile. Feeling more poised and confident already?

Facial expressions

Smiling, not only at the start of the interview, but at appropriate times during the interview and on leaving the room, is a surefire way to build rapport with your interviewers. Make a habit of relaxing your facial muscles and breaking into a gentle, pleasant smile that’s appropriate for the situation. Who knows, by focusing on smiling, you might actually find that you are enjoying the interview. Your smile is one of the most powerful tools you possess. Use it to establish a positive connection. But beware of the subtle difference between a fake smile and an authentic one. The latter, known as the “Duchenne smile,” requires the muscles located at the corners of the mouth and encircling the eyes.

Body language

Consider what your body language is indicating about you—spend some time sitting in front of a mirror when practising your answers, ensuring that your body is conveying the same message as your words. When what you are saying in words isn’t congruent with what your face and body are saying, the listener will believe the non-verbal communication—pictures always speak louder than words. And our bodies never lie.

Building a strong rapport

Members of the interview panel are looking to appoint a candidate whom they believe is the best fit for the job. People generally like people who are like them. Their perception of you will be based not only on what you say, but also what your face, posture, tone of voice, and gestures are saying—the non-verbal cues that influence how we are perceived. Some research suggests that up to 93% of the impression we make is based on non-verbal factors. The unconscious signals that you transmit can considerably affect the extent to which the interviewer believes that you are a great match for the job.

Find common ground

As you’re getting to know someone, an important component of building rapport is having something in common with that person. Look out for similar research interests, colleagues, or places you’ve worked. Your aim is to put them at ease and make it easy for them to enjoy meeting you.

Match and mirror

If you watch two good friends talking, you will probably notice how they copy each other’s gestures, facial expressions, and body language. This matching and mirroring is all happening at a subconscious level. As they match and mirror each other, they each perceive the other to be like them and this creates a deep, unconscious rapport. As a result, the degree of trust, comfort, and respect between them builds. The conscious mind follows what the subconscious mind does. If the other person’s subconscious mind trusts you, then his or her conscious mind will trust you too.

If you want to create a strong connection with another person, try matching and mirroring their actions and see what happens to the way you communicate and how comfortable you feel. Matching is doing what the other person is doing, but simply in reverse; if a person crosses their left leg, you cross your left leg. Mirroring is being the mirror image of the other person—when they tilt their head to the left, you tilt yours to the right.

Active listening

All too often we’re so busy thinking about what we want to say next that we fail to concentrate on what the other person is saying. If you want to communicate effectively you must listen actively and be present at all times. Send the other person some reassuring signals that you really do value what they’re saying. Nod, use “ums” and “ahs” at the appropriate points, and let your facial expressions reveal your thoughts rather than interrupting the person in mid-sentence.

Copy talking

Studies have shown that a mere 7% of what is communicated is transmitted through the words themselves. A whopping 38% comes through the individual characteristics of the voice—the tone, tempo, volume, and timbre. You can match the tonality and phrasing, the pitch, the speed, volume, and tempo of the other person. Also, consider the words that your interviewers use—are they formal or casual? Do they use short sentences or long ones? Do they talk in jargon and acronyms? Pick up on their approach and integrate it into your own delivery.

Be careful to avoid mimicry when matching voice and words (don’t do an impression of their pronunciation and dialect) and make sure you always use it in helping you to build rapport with a sincere intention. Combine this with matching the interviewer’s body language and the level of rapport will grow faster. In no time you will be locked into strong rapport because although the words are working on the person’s conscious mind, the physiology is working on the unconscious mind and the brain receives the message loud and clear—“you’re like me”.

Good luck with your interviews!

To read the full article as appeared in the British Medical Journal go to:

http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=20001425

Now, had I been a seasoned cyclist, I would have put more thought into the optimal outer clothing – instead, I’d focused perhaps too much on the sub-layers and looked on with envy at those donning their windbreakers and waterproof trousers. Despite the bitter wind chill factor, my well-worn fleece and those pathetic threadbare gloves (what was I thinking?), I was sitting quite comfortably, actually. In the lead up to the event, I somehow had known what would make the biggest difference to my staying the course. I had invested a modest £19.99 in a small and fairly discreet item. What struck me, was how this relatively insignificant purchase could have such a profound impact on my comfort and endurance.

This led me to reflect on the types of support we have around us, yet rarely draw on when facing difficult or challenging times.  As a coach, I’m acutely aware of the tough world we live in, the issues we have to grapple with every day, and the cultural norm that dictates us to keep a stiff upper lip and never grumble – it could be worse, after all.  I’m also highly conscious of how a very small amount of support can go a long, long way. It often turns out to be the one thing that determines whether your dream or goal remains on your list of ‘Things I Would Love To Do One Day’ or moves over to your list of ‘Things I Have Done’.

It’s the day after the cycle ride and I’m still smiling, proud of my little achievement, happy with our efforts in organising a great event for a project that will make a real difference to orphaned and disabled children in Tajikistan. And forever grateful that I knew myself well enough to be certain of the best support for this particular rider… padded cycling shorts!

I for one am not of a religious disposition and am no great fan of curses and blessings, or sacraments and sins for that matter. However, for my sins, my curious nature has got me into some, shall we say, interesting situations along the way. You could argue that curiosity holds people back from exploring and realising their ‘true potential’ – whatever that may mean. From personal, painful experience, I know that being curious can be self-limiting. Asking question after question without arriving at any useful conclusion can leave you in limbo-land. What to read? Where to eat? How to act? What not to wear? Why? Why? Why? The ‘reflective practitioner’ can drown in her own cognitive sludge.

Take for example some of the people I work with – medical practitioners. They perform God-like acts on a daily basis, usually running against the clock – not just the one on the wall, but the old ticker too. If they were to pause for thought throughout the day, languish reflectively over a long lunch, or take time out simply to engage in thinking, what would happen to the patient in A&E waiting for a life-saving operation? Isn’t it obvious that having a curious mind is contra-indicated in leading a professional life, especially when someone else’s life is in your hands?

I don’t believe it’s when, why or to what extent one reflects that impacts on our work and the difference we make in the world. To me, it’s what we do with the answers we arrive at. Know-it-alls are dangerous creatures indeed. If you already know all that there is to know and never fathom what lies beyond the cache of knowledge you hold, how can you progress, learn, develop or deepen your understanding?

More than anything, though, I believe with all my heart that a reflective, inquisitive, iterative, questioning, searching nature is a true blessing. It not only fires your imagination, quickens the pulse, gives you tunnel vision powers. Curiosity is like life’s concierge – it opens doors to whole corridors of unexplored territory. It chaperones you to places you would never dare venture on your own, well beyond the boundaries of your personal comfort zone.

That brings me to a question, of course! What will you stop to think about now? What will you question next? I’m curious to find out. And I’m already wondering, as I sign off, how many different sides to this argument there will be.

And back to the non-news hounds…here’s the article about that 20 pence coin you may be curious to read about: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/jun/29/collectors-seek-20p-coins).