In her book “,” personal marketing consultant Camille Lavington says that the moment a person sees you, she forms an indelible impression. She immediately evaluates your clothing, hairstyle, grooming habits, facial cues and posture.
In terms of being taken seriously in an interview, your young age can be a disadvantage. Therefore, you should counteract your appearance as a 20-something with limited experience by dressing up rather than down. A manager once told me that if I dressed like the VPs, people would be able to picture me fitting in with them instead of the other entry-level girls wearing flip-flops in the elevator.
Even if the environment you’re in is business casual, show up wearing a clean and neatly tailored suit. If you’re a guy, sport a tie, shave close and temporarily remove earrings if you have them. Ladies should invest in two nice pairs of pumps and a few pieces of quality gold or silver jewelry. The way you style your hair can also make you look older and more mature, so think about that too as you prepare to come across like you’ve worked in the business world all your life!
In “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” author and motivational guru Dale Carnegie says that the person who can speak acceptably is usually considered to possess greater ability than he actually has. In my experience, this is true. If you look and act like you know what you’re talking about, people will think that you do – regardless of the reality.
When you’re a young professional, you don’t have a vast store of knowledge and years of experience to draw from but still need to create the perception of being competent and informed. The key to coming across this way in an interview is to prepare, but not too much. You want to do just enough research so that you know what to expect and can speak intelligently on the points related to your job function.
Determine in advance what type of interview you’ll be having so you aren’t caught off guard. Will the meeting be one-on-one, or will you be sitting in front of a panel of executives? Will you be asked to consider a real-life business problem?
Once you have this information, practice giving succinct and articulate responses in front of friends or a mirror. In the actual interview, begin with a strong handshake, speak slowly and confidently, ask thoughtful questions, and listen more than you talk.
Few young professionals have a wealth of experience to boast about, but by packaging your resume and yourself in a skillful manner, you’ll appear seasoned beyond your years and will succeed in getting in the door – and making that doorstop hold.
