As the famous idiom states, the devil is in the details, which means that seemingly unimportant events or processes can become the most significant. This idea relates to many life spheres, and job interviews are no exception. When a candidate applies for a vacancy, human resource professionals typically assess every aspect of their appearance, behavior, and qualification. In some cases, a hiring decision can be made based on a single aspect. For example, an individual can be refused because they look untidy or are very nervous. That is why every candidate is expected to draw much attention to every detail to establish a good first impression. Whether a job interview is good or bad depends on three essential points, including communication, physical appearance, and a level of engagement, which denotes that a person should succeed in them to get a job.
To begin with, one should clarify that communication can make a significant difference between a good and bad job interview. This term is broad since it includes a few more specific aspects that deserve attention. On the one hand, verbal communication is important and allows human resource officers to assess candidates. According to Vasanthakumari, grammar, rate of speech, and pronunciation are the most significant areas to consider (68). On the other hand, candidates should ensure that their non-verbal communication is appropriate. Body language, gestures, posture, and facial expression are essential aspects that can tell much information about a person (Vasanthakumari 68). These aspects are additionally informative because they can reveal whether a person is nervous. Thus, verbal and non-verbal tools should be combined to create effective presentation skills that are necessary for candidates to sell themselves and convince a human resource professional to hire them.
A candidate’s specific communication skills can make a job interview good or bad. For instance, if a person frequently makes grammar or pronunciation mistakes, the interview is unlikely to end positively. In turn, a well-bred speaking of an appropriate rate can increase a candidate’s chances of being hired. How a person behaves is additionally significant and informative for interviewers. A closed posture, messy movements, and unnatural facial expressions can demonstrate that an individual is nervous or wants to hide something. These aspects can further demonstrate that this person tries to present false information. Consequently, individuals are expected to invest time and effort in improving their verbal and non-verbal communication skills. People should frequently train to ensure that they are capable of presenting and selling themselves effectively to participate in good interviews more often.
The second essential aspect refers to the candidate’s physical appearance and clothing. People should always remember that the first impressions are the most lasting. When human resource officers meet a candidate for the first time, they draw much attention to a person’s layout. As Suen et al. mention, some interviewers believe that candidates’ physical appearance is more important than their professional factors (94). The rationale behind this fact is that whether a person is tidy can tell much about their personal qualities. Neat and clean clothes additionally demonstrate that a candidate draws attention to their image and focuses on details. That is why people are recommended to make sure that their appearance is perfect when they are going to attend a job interview to establish the right first impression.
The information above clearly demonstrates that the outcome of a job interview can significantly depend on a person’s appearance and clothes. If a person appears wearing dirty clothes, an interviewer immediately creates a particular impression about this candidate, and this idea can guide the entire interview. Even though organizations do their best to guarantee that human resources managers are objective and impartial, it is not always true. When an interviewer is subject to such a bias, the job interview is likely to be bad for the candidate. The same rules apply to online interviews that became very popular today. Disheveled hair can become an influential factor for an interviewer to create a negative impression about the interviewee. That is why individuals should draw attention to many aspects of their physical appearance to maximize the chances of attending positive job interviews.
The third point of analysis refers to a candidate’s level of engagement. Even though it is believed that every person attending a job interview wants to become employed, not everyone clearly expresses this desire. Some people can answer questions as if they are uninterested, and this fact is a bad sign for interviewers. Other candidates can frequently check their smartphones during an interview. People can do it unintentionally because it is their habit or even addiction, and a human resource professional can believe that this behavior reflects a person’s inability to stay focused. Furthermore, an individual can systematically check the clock while talking to the interviewer. This fact can make a human resource officer think that this person wants to leave the place. These elementary aspects can significantly impact people’s chances of being employed.
Thus, a person’s approach to an interview can determine whether it will be good or bad. To achieve positive outcomes, a person should stay focused on communication with the interviewer. A good interview occurs when an individual does not get distracted by their smartphone or other objects and processes. A candidate is expected to be interested in the process and ignore time, irrespective of how long the interview lasts. Another suitable strategy is to maintain eye contact to establish a connection with the interviewer. In this case, it is possible to expect that the interview will be good in the end. However, this experience can become bad if a human resource officer decides that the candidate is insufficiently engaged in the process. This outcome is possible when the person fails to prove that they like the interview and are eager to get this job.
In conclusion, job interviews are significant events that can determine people’s professional career development. That is why organizations do their best to make their recruitment and hiring processes more effective. Candidates are significantly responsible for whether job interviews are good or bad for them. This experience is positive when people adequately prepare for it and can impress human resource managers with excellent communication, a tidy appearance, and an expected level of engagement. In this case, such a person can reckon on high chances of being employed. However, if a person does not have effective verbal and non-verbal communication, appears untidy and disheveled, or seems uninterested in the interview, the outcome is likely to be negative for them. Thus, the difference between a good and bad interview depends on how prepared and interested a person appears. This aspect determines whether human resource officers will positively or negatively assess candidates.
Works Cited
Suen, Hung-Yue, et al. “Does the Use of Synchrony and artificial intelligence in Video Interviews Affect Interview Ratings and Applicant Attitudes?” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 98, 2019, pp. 93-101.
Vasanthakumari, Sundararajan. “Soft Skills and Its Application in Work Place.” World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, vol. 3, no. 2, 2019, pp. 66-72.