Apr 18th 2018

How to make a great impression in less than 15 seconds

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

And people form their first impression of you in literally 1/10th of a second of meeting you. Yup. Not saying we’re judgmental or anything. do itt But it does mean the pressure is on.

Fear no more! Here are our top tips on how to make a great impression.

1. SMILE!

You have to emit happiness when you meet someone new – this is crucial.

As a species, humans mirror each other, and emotions like happiness can be contagious (we’ve all had a fit of the giggles sat in the back of class, right?) Same goes even with just smiling. When you smile at someone, chances are they will smile back, and as the simple act of smiling actually makes us feel happier, it also makes us and the person we’re with release happy hormones. So there’s the science bit. But trust us on that one.

2. LOOK INTO MY EYES

Eye contact shows confidence, and if someone is interviewing you for a job in their team, there’s no better time to prove you’re up to the mark. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, try practising first with someone you’re closer to. Play a little game and see how long you can go for – keep it fun. Another little hack is to look at one of their eyes, as you don’t want to be seen flitting around not deciding on where to rest your gaze. It all sounds weird, but these little things really make a difference!

3. THE PACKAGING

Let’s face it, even the least superficial amongst us will still register our clothes, our hairstyle, any jewellery, makeup, piercings or tattoos. We know, we know; never judge a book by its cover, but how many children’s books have you seen covered with a raunchy illustration, or a factual science text accompanied with fairies and dragons? See our point? When people have had the chance to get to know you, of course the outer layers are less important (figuratively speaking, of course!) but when you’re meeting someone for the first time – particularly in an interview scenario – fix up, look smart.

4. DULCET TONES

So everything we’ve covered so far is about how you look. But let’s talk about how you sound now too. This is just as important. You need to make sure that when you speak, it’s clear, audible, and eloquent.

This will show confidence and a well-educated manner – all good vibes to a potential new employer!

5. COMING UP ROSES

Seeing as we’re covering the different senses (how you look, how you sound…) of course we couldn’t go without mentioning smells too!

Anything offensive is obviously a no-no – and this goes across language and dress-sense as well as smell! Sure, you don’t have to go all out and douse yourself in a tub of Chanel No. 5, but do make sure you’re clean and that you’re wearing fresh clothes.

Follow these tips and you’re golden 😉

And if you haven’t done so already, create your free account with Tempo now, to see what cool new jobs are out there for you.

For more check out our tips on nailing your interviews here.