Free Career and Job Search Advice

Andre · Last edited by Andre on Sun May 07, 2006 5:54 pm; edited 1 time in total

How To Get The Job You Want in
10 Seconds!

Overview

How to get the job you want in 10 seconds!

1.First opinion comes from a great impression.
2. Say what you mean and mean what you say
3. Say my name….
4. No time for a bad hair day!
5. Don’t loose because of the shoes!
6. It’s all in the walk
7. Power handshakes!
8. Here’s my card
9. Ready and steady to impress

Final Thoughts

You might have heard this a hundred times, but first impressions REALLY
counts. We've put together 9 action points for you to study so YOU can
make a great first impression and get the job you want in as little as 10
seconds!

Why 10 seconds? because that is how long it takes on average for someone
to make an initial assessment of who and what you're all about.

Time is of the essence, so to make sure people take you serious whether it
be a potential employer or a business meeting, pay close attention to the
following points and you're sure to make a lasting first impression.

1.First opinion comes from a great impression.

With your first meeting, 90% of peoples judgment is based on a non-verbal
physiological assessment.

This is your general appearance, body language and behaviour.
The way you "carry" yourself says a lot about your general confidence and
personality. Be sure to project positivity and zeal with your first meeting.

So what about the other 10 %? Well, that is words, but ......

2. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Your words make up 10% of people's assessment of you, but it's not what
you say, it's the way you say it.
Voice tonality is responsible for 70% of your message. Look at the following
example from when I was a little boy and when my mom called me:

My Mom: - "Andre, come here."

Nothing to it, just my mom calling because maybe she wants me to do
something. Now look at the following example:

My Mom: ANDRE, COME HERE!

This time it's also my mom calling...but I'm not to sure if I want to
go....because that did not sound too healthy!. Clearly something is wrong,
and so in this example I wanted you to see that although the
exact same words are used, it can have a totally different meaning if your
voice tonality changes.

When you meet your potential employer or Interviewer, say: Hi I'm John,
It's nice to meet you and thank you for your time to see me today". And
oh...don't say John...use your own name.... (",)
If it's a lunch meeting or Interview, say "Thank you for joining me for lunch"

Always make people feel appreciated and you'll impress them for life.

3. Say my name….

Say my name....because that's music top me ears... It's amazing how people
love the sound of their own name! But knowing this can be used to your
advantage. When in conversation with someone within the first 10 seconds,
make sure you mention their name.

People love the sound of their own name and this will boost your first
impressions. It relays a message that you are just focused on that person
with your undivided attention.

4. No time for a bad hair day!

When you go out on a date, I bet you spend a few extra minutes on your
hair don't you? Even just before you leave the house, it's just one more
final glance to make sure every strand is in place!
Going for a job interview or meeting is even more important than your date,
because without the job there's not going to be much of a date don't you
think?

Make sure you get a haircut or colour job if you're a lady. Neglecting this
could cost you the job, so take it to heart because your fellow applicants will
certainly do.
Looking untidy and unkempt is not something employers want to be
connected to, so make sure you gear up for success and a great first
impression.

5. Don’t loose because of the shoes!

Have you seen the ad on television about the young man going for a job
interview with dirty, and grey looking shoes? He was quickly offered some
shoe polish by the janitor and when the employer investigated the young
man from head to toe, he's shoes got him the job!

This is a true fact. Employers will look at you from head to toe in just 10
seconds or less and if your shoes are grey where they should be black and
shiny, your attention to detail will be questioned.

Keep them well polished and maintained because they might be the last
thing you put on when you're about to leave your house, it is often the
first thing people see when you enter.

6. It’s all in the walk

Research show people who walk 15-20% faster than their fellow applicants
are viewed as energetic, vibrant and important. This is the kind of first
impression you want to make on employers so make sure you walk briskly
and up your pace because you never know who might be watching.

7. Power handshakes!

Giving a weak handshake makes you look weak. The first thing you do when
you meet someone at a job interview or business meeting, is to give them
a handshake right? This first physical contact should be made memorable
with a firm handshake.

I call it power handshakes. Make complete contact with the other persons
palm, and close your thumb over the back of the other persons hand.
Give a slight squeeze.Never ever give someone a limp handshake. Always
remember that.

8. Here’s my card

Being able to say "Here's my card" simply puts you miles ahead of your fellow
applicants when going for a job interview or meeting a potential client, boss
or employer.
Always carry some business cards with you because this contributes to your
image and will most certainly boost your first impression.
However it's not smart to say: "Oops I'm sorry I just gave my last card away"

It will come across that you already met everyone you need to know. Keep
your cards safe and easily accessible and have a good supply on you just in
case you meet a potential employer or client.

9. Ready and steady to impress

Giving a smile exudes that you are glad to be there. Make sure you have a
good breakfast and make sure you are in good spirit when you go to appear
enthusiastic, positive and confident. Maintaining good eye contact says you
are paying attention to the conversation and are interested in what's being
said.

Leaning lightly toward the employer or client makes you appear involved in
the conversation and as a general rule, try and make use of as many signals
as you can to appear more interested. Plan your every move and always be
ready and steady to impress!

Final Thoughts

If you follow our 9 power points above, you're well on your way to get the
job you want in 10 seconds!

Best of luck!

Andre J Hendricks

7days · Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:38 am Post subject: Picky Interviewer

Good Grief! I sure hope I don't ever find you trying to interview me. Just as I thought, some people are so materialistic that they only look at the appearances and how much money they have, what clothes they have, how they walk, how they talk, whether they have their hair dyed or not, whether they cut their hair or not. Some of these things may be really what employers look at, and maybe they do come up with some answers after just 10 seconds, well then that employer needs to take more time and be more patient and pay attention to more things that are important and not things that aren't important at all. This comes with age. Someone young may think those things are important, but when someone gets older, they sure don't think those same things are important anymore.

Carole · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:29 am Post subject:

I've a feeling that these things differ depending on where in the world you happen to be. I'm sure US values are very different to our values here in the UK, for example. The stange thing is, Andre is registered as being from Leicester (UK) and yet he uses "mom" and US spellings. Perhaps he's an American living here in the UK?

What impresses an employer probably differs considerably from company to company, too, so I'd imagine it's impossible to say that such and such a thing is a hard and fast rule. If I had to find a job today, I'd just go in there, be myself and if that wasn't good enough then I'd accept that I wasn't the right person for the job. After all, I don't want to spend the next 20 years "putting on a front".

Carole

shellybeau · Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:28 pm Post subject: re: get the job in 10 seconds

It's certainly not fair to assume that the author of the "Get the Job in 10 Seconds" e-mail must be an American. I find that offensive. Perhaps it takes maturity to be less judgemental about an entire country. Don't believe all you read and see on TV. There are many Americans who are not materialistic and shallow.

Cameron · Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:24 am Post subject: The Tenth Tip

The tenth tip, of course, is to check your spelling before sending a resume or posting an article on the web . . .

TINA · Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:04 pm Post subject: Jobs

Hi all,

Looks like the first poster on this topic that started this topic is not an American, as they have some UK City and a UK Flag. I haven't heard of anyone getting any jobs in the USA in 10 seconds. Perhaps some do find jobs and get them the next day they apply, that has happened to me. Filled out a job form and the next day I received a call saying something about how fast can you get here...an hour. Then I was there maybe an hour or so, and was given the job then and there. I was there about five years. That's I think the only time I was hired on the spot. Usually they have to check your references, and wait and sit around and see who else applies.

Richard · Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 1:18 pm Post subject:

What the poster is saying (and these are quite common tips, available all over the internet, he's just not edited them enough to make them look his own - he's failed his interview, I'm afraid) is that the hirer has made a cursory decision within a few seconds of opening your letter or CV, in just the same way that we immediately sum up someone by their appearance or general demeanour. Whether that's right or wrong is difficult to say but employers are busy people so first impressions really do count.

Unless you've made a positive hit within the first few seconds of your cover letter or CV you'll be playing catch-up for the rest of the time you keep the reader's attention. It may be something as simple as the layout that impresses without any single word being read or a neatly addresed envelope that makes that impression but do bear in mind how important it is. This really is common sense basic stuff, it's how the world works in miniature even, but it's so often overlooked when an applicant believes that their success is dependent solely upon their experience when something seemingly so trivial as a casual spelling mistake may cause the reader to bin the letter or résumé without reading it fully.

You don't know what the employer's mood is going to be on the day he or she reads your letter or CV. To be on the safe side, assumethe default attitude to be "just give me one good reason not to hire this person" and work from there. It's not being fatalistic or pessimistic, it's making sure the odds are stacked in your favour as much as possible.

Cameron · Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:14 pm Post subject: The Book to Read

Employers - and everyone else -- make decisions based on instantaneous processing of information. Studies have shown that people make the same decision on an applicant whether they interview them personally, watch a 15-minute videotape, watch a 30-second videotape -- or watch a few seconds WITH THE SOUND OFF.

The book to read is Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking."

R2D2 · Newbie Joined: 21 Aug 2005 Posts: 2 Career Advice: +0/-0

This is a very interesting thread, I think, and I agree that a potential employer will no doubt make up his or her mind within just a few seconds. This goes for everybody who meets anybody in any situation. I think the average time it takes for a person to make a decision about somebody they meet is something like 17 seconds so it's really important that those crucial seconds are utlized as well as possible.

I agree with Carole that these 'rules', when it comes to what will and won't impress an employer probably differ depending on culture. I'm guessing that can even be the case within a country. The US is a huge place and what an employer in Virginia sees as important may well be different to another in New York. It also depends on the type of job you're looking for, I'd say. Why would a beef farmer looking for a ranch hand want to find the same qualities as a stock broker looking for a secretary, for instance?

Richard explained things very well I thought. Tina had obviously missed the point. It sure isn't about how quickly you're told you've got the job, but about how quickly the interviewer decides whether or not you have it (or won't get it, as is probably more likely).

Katja144 · Expert Joined: 22 Aug 2005 Posts: 177 Career Advice: +2/-0

I don't think it's so materialistic at all.

After all, the way someone dresses, does their hair and makeup, etc., usually reflects how they want to be seen by the world and reflects the message they wish to send, so judging someone based on how they choose to present themselves in terms of appearance isn't any more materialistic than judging them based on how they choose to present themselves in terms of actions or personality.

For a job interview, you dress to fit the image you want to present. If you're dressed neatly, you're clean, etc.,who could ask for more? Employers aren't looking at whether you got your shoes at Brooks Brothers or Target, they're looking at whether those shoes are clean and neat, and whether you've made an effort to look good or whether you look like a slob--which could signify that you don't care or don't pay good attention to detail.

Further, their mannerisms/way of talking also fits them and their image. If you are slumped over, won't look the interviewer in the eye, mumble...then yes, they will judge you badly because you're obviously not very confident and they want someone confident for the job. If you spend the whole interview picking your nose, they're going to think that's very bad form, and it is. Your way of speaking and your body language often betray things about you that your carefully-thought-out personality front may never show, if you don't pay attention to it--and many people don't think to take care about such things, so it is very often a good look into who they truly are/how they truly feel, regardless of what they say or do otherwise. So why shouldn't a potential employer judge based on the one thing that may tell them most accurately who you are?

Why is all that so bad, exactly?

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