After Making Bad Job-Related First Impression
<p><strong>Boston — May 22</strong><br />Everyone knows how important it is to make a good first impression — especially when interviewing for a job or meeting a business prospect. </p><p>It is possible, however, to recover from a bad initial impression, according to ClearRock, an outplacement and executive coaching firm in Boston.<br /><br />“Not all interviewing mistakes or other first-meeting errors are fatal,” said Annie Stevens, ClearRock managing partner. “With a combination of the right follow-up plan and quick action, some bad first impressions can be turned around effectively.”<br /><br />But not all bad first impressions are recoverable. </p><p>“It will depend on the other person's assessment of the seriousness of the error as much as the effectiveness of your follow-up plan,” said Greg Gostanian, ClearRock managing partner. “The biggest mistakes people make afterward are not trying to make corrections and not doing so effectively.”<br /><br />Among the more common interviewing and other job-related bad first impressions are:<br /><br />Drawing a blank or being slow to answer at a critical time, particularly in response to questions about your qualifications for the job or business, your distinguishing qualities or other personal capabilities.</p><ul><li>Lacking chemistry or rapport with the other person.</li><li>Being overly nervous or too low-key.</li><li>Being late or not as prepared as you should have been.</li><li>Forgetting someone's name, getting it wrong or confusing the person with someone else.</li></ul><p> After the interview or meeting is over, ClearRock recommends taking the following steps:</p><ul><li><strong>Conduct a thorough damage assessment.</strong> “Determine how seriously you may have hurt your prospects,” Stevens said. “Sometimes, what seemed like a fatal error to you may have hardly been noticed. At the same time, be honest with yourself and don't try to ignore it or feel it doesn't warrant further investigation or follow up.”</li><li><strong>Act quickly. </strong>“The longer you wait to take corrective measures, the more likely the negative impression is to set in,” Gostanian said.</li><li><strong>Use your follow-up communication to reiterate your qualifications, accomplishments, “fit” for the job or piece of business and unique characteristics.</strong> “Keep this succinct — no more than a few sentences on how your skills, experience and achievements will help a potential employer or new client attain their stated objectives,” Stevens said.</li><li><strong>Apologize if it will be the only corrective action that will suffice. </strong>“If you made a glaring error that reflected badly on the other person, misspoke or inadvertently embarrassed him or her, then a sincere apology may be the only thing to do,” Gostanian said. “Don't overapologize but realize that if an apology is needed, you may only be doing the decent thing and not necessarily saving yourself.”</li><li><strong>Use humor cautiously and sparingly.</strong> “Don't mistakenly think all that is required is some self-deprecating humor or wit. Humor has its place but don't add to the problem by trying to make light of a situation that may demand a more complete follow up,” Stevens said.</li><li><strong>Better-prepare yourself for the next interview or meeting if you successfully recover from the bad first impression. </strong>“It usually takes more than one interview or one business meeting to land a new job or new client,” Gostanian said. “If you make it to the next stage, be sure not to repeat whatever you did the first time. If you do not get another interview or meeting, use this as a learning experience and keep in contact with the person from time to time for possible future opportunities.”</li></ul><p> </p>
