Judging by Appearance and Behaviour

1. Patrick Smith is 25. He left university two years ago. He has been called for twenty-five interviews but hasn’t found a job. However, he won’t change his appearance to try and get work. “This is the way I look. You can take it or leave it. People should look at my qualifications, not my hair,” he says.

2. Unfortunately for Patrick, first impressions are vital. For many employers, neat and tidy hair, smart clothes and good manners are as important as qualifications. An interview may last half an hour or more, but the decision to hire or not is usually taken in the first four minutes, sometimes even before the interviewee has spoken. First impressions are vital whether we like it or not. However, many young people fail to create that vital first impression because their appearance lets them down.

3. So what factors contribute to that vital first impression? It varies a lot according to our culture. For example, in the United States tall people are considered more reliable and serious in business. In Britain and America physically attractive applicants are thought of as warmer, kinder, more sociable and even more intelligent although they are not always as lucky as we think – some people think they are irresponsible and immature so they don’t give them the best job.

4. We can’t do much about our height or how good-looking we are but we can control our body language. For example, if you hang your head, play with your hair, hold your hand over your mouth or chew your nails you may seem flustered, nervous or dishonest. If you look at your watch or tap your foot it highlights your impatience or anxiety. In Europe and America it is appropriate to look the interviewer more or less in the eyes. It shows that you are open, frank, friendly, self-confident, sincere and natural. If you avoid eye contact the interviewer will think that you are cold and defensive and don’t really care about the conversation. Unfortunately, people from some cultures can find quite difficult to look directly at strangers.

5. Behaviour is language and we all have different ways of expressing ourselves. For example, if you take a plastic bag inside the interview room – even for important documents like your CV, a letter of application or references – it always looks like you are carrying your dirty washing. If foreigners’ behaviour seems strange to you then yours will seem strange to them. But there is an international language. For example, politeness and “being nice” to people are essential for successful interviews in any country. If you enter the interview room wearing not only a shirt and tie but a bright and friendly smile it counts for a lot… Anyway, if you want to do well you should follow experts’ tips how to dress and behave on the big day.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20