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 Not only does arriving late make a bad first impression, it also limits the amount of time you receive in an interview to make a case for why you're a fit for the job.
Many unexpected things can happen at interviews. For example, interviewing with a group or team instead of one-on-one. The unexpected can unravel you, and finding the answers you assumed to be easy might be more difficult than you imagined. Advance preparation will help you navigate the interview successfully and equip you with the confidence to deal with the unexpected when it happens. 
From the moment you arrive to the parking lot, you're being watched. Treat everyone who nears you with the same amount of respect as the one who performs the interview. If you get the job, you'll likely see these same people again.
Approaching an interview in such a casual manner can send the wrong messages to the interviewer and cost you the job. Stepping up your formality and looking for answers to help the interviewer distinguish you from the competition are better approaches.   |
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Welcome to the Tero International Monthly eZine
The Olympics bring about a new air - one that testifies that anything can be possible. Let's relate this to reaching the highest level of achievement in the workplace - top performer. Or, for hiring managers, the complex task of recruiting, hiring and retaining top performers. Whether you're a job seeker or a hiring manager, the interview is one of the most important elements in connecting the right person to the right job. So important is this activity that Tero offers a skill-building, two-day workshop on this topic.
For job seekers, check out the sidebar for some common interviewing mistakes. For hiring managers and candidates alike, the professional development activity sheds light on one of the most overlooked elements in the process. The article provides information around three key elements that lead to a perfect job fit.
Whether you're interviewing or being interviewed, this eZine is to help bring out the best in you. Is the message you intend the message that's being received?
Ask Tero
This section contains questions asked of the training professionals at Tero. Do you have a question for Tero? Let us know! If there is a topic or question you would like to see addressed in a future eZine, please make suggestions so we can give you the resources you need. Thank you for the continued responses we receive each month.
Question: What's the right age for teaching children interpersonal skills? How do I do this?
Tero says: Research suggests that as children leave late childhood and enter adolescence, they begin to relate to the world and others in a new and different way. The development of their interpersonal skills takes a higher priority. Relationships with peers often supplant relationships with family members and other adults as they seek to individuate. While parents should always seek to help their children interact with others effectively, it is especially important between the ages of 12 and 17 that attention to interpersonal skills be a focus. Sadly, the skills to relate well to others are often left to chance or developed ad hoc.
To help children build strong interpersonal skills, first begin by looking in the mirror at your own interactive style. Are you a positive role model? Are you modeling the skills of effective communication, listening and conflict resolution? If not, the place to begin is with gaining stewartship over your own behaviors. There are few things more important for the development of children than positive role models.
Beyond your own example, seek workshops, clubs and activities that promote positive interpersonal skills and get children involved in those. When negative examples reveal themselves, dialogue with young people. Ask open ended questions and challenge young people to find solutions to interpersonal relationships on their own. This will help them build the critical qualities of judgment and character.
Question: When should a company start considering outsourcing training needs?
Tero says: Let's begin by first looking at when an organization should NOT outsource training needs. When the learning objectives involve proprietary processes or represent competitive advantage that must be protected, they should be facilitated in-house, or outsourced only to organizations that have signed non-disclosure agreements.
There are a variety of reasons organizations outsource their training needs. Following are a few of the most common ones:
Feature Article - A Perfect Fit
The hiring system can only be effective when the first step, a thorough understanding of the position being filled, is made. This will result from careful study of the unique characteristics of both the organization and the position being filled.
Using a competency-based approach to culture analysis and job analysis and an in-depth behavioral-based interviewing process to measure fit helps hiring managers select top performers for their organization.
Fit must be assessed on three levels.
Professional Development Activity - Shaping First Impressions
The adage is as true today as at any time in the past. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Consider the results of this study on candidate interviews reported in The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease. Professor Frank Bernieri of the University of Toledo analyzed the performances of job applicants of various ages and backgrounds during 20 minute interviews in which the interviewers were asked to rate each candidate on attributes such as ambition, intelligence and competence. Then a group of observers was asked to watch video footage of just the first fifteen seconds of each interview. The results showed that the observers' first impressions in 15 seconds almost paralleled the impressions of the interviewers.
Careers often never get off the ground, in spite of exemplary experience, education, passion and talent due to a poor first impression.
Your approach, handshake and body language are key factors in creating an impression - for better or for worse. To assess the impression you are making, begin watching people and evaluate the impressions you form of others. Watch for things such as eye contact, body movement, attire, facial expression and handshakes. Consider the role they play in forming an impression on you. Make a commitment to improve your interaction style in one small way. If you avert eye contact when meeting someone for the first time, challenge yourself to make direct eye contact. If your handshake is weak, commit to practicing handshaking until you master this critical skill. If you fidget in meetings, consciously change this distracting behavior - it will make you appear more confident and competent.
Resources
To discover the secrets to improve the impression you leave and discover easy to apply strategies guaranteed to make a difference in your interactions with others, consider registering for the following Tero workshops;
What's New at Tero
Article Published in International Journal: Industrial and Commercial Training, UK, recently published Rowena Crosbie's article titled "Who Defines Ethics in Your Organization?" Click here to be directed to the web location to purchase the article.
The Des Moines Register talks to Iowa Business Leaders about World Class Schools. Read what Rowena Crosbie and three other business leaders say on the subject. Click here for the full transcript of the interview. Article appeared in Sunday, August 3, 2008 edition of The Des Moines Register. Watch for the interview to air on Iowa Public Television.
Tero Hosts Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) Reception Intern Farewells Best of Des Moines and Business Record Retrospective Special Edition Ads A 5-hour Business Etiquette and Dining Tutorial workshop. September 18, 2008 (Des Moines), December 4, 2008 (Des Moines) January 20, 2009 (Omaha), February 20, 2009 (Des Moines) April 23, 2009 (Des Moines) Image and Influence: Polishing Your Professional Look
IMPACT - How To Speak Your Way To Success
Time Management Through Goal Setting
Selecting Top Performers: Recruiting and Interviewing
Beyond Compromise: A Better Way To Negotiate
World Class: Managing Diverse Business Communications
Online Resources
Are you a graduate of a Tero workshop? Your feedback is important to us.
Click here to fill out an evaluation of how your Tero acquired knowledge has impacted your everyday work and life. This opportunity is available in each eZine or you can visit the Tero website at www.tero.com to give us your feedback.
Inspiration - Things to Think About
"First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible professions or studied actions. A man's look is the work of years; it is stamped on his countenance by the events of his whole life, nay, more, by the hand of nature, and it is not to be got rid of easily."
The Laws of Primary and Recency suggest that the people form their impressions around a person or an issue based in large part on what they experience first and last. In other words, the first impression made and the last impression left are remembered and are important.
In sizing people up, we all take shortcuts. The impressions we form turn into long-term perceptions and can make or break careers.
How can a new employee ensure the first impression is a good one? Dress professionally, use good manners, avoid gossip, learn colleagues names quickly, volunteer for projects and show gratitute.
What about the last impression? Remember when you are leaving a job that the last two weeks will shape how you are remembered. Work full days, be professional, be helpful and show appreciation.
For organizations, the same laws apply. Remember that the task of recruiting and selecting top performers transitions to one of retaining top performers when the new hire begins work. The experience the new employee has during his or her first days is critical in forming the impressions they hold about your organization and their career with you.
Whether you are a new employee seeking to make a good impression, an employee preparing to leave your job, or an employer seeking to attract top talent to your organization, remember the laws of primacy and recency and make sure the experience others have with you is a good one.
The Tero International Monthly eZine is written for the graduates and friends of Tero training programs. It is published by Tero International, Inc., 1840 NW 118th Street, Suite 107, Des Moines, Iowa 50325. Copyright 2008, Tero International, Inc. All rights reserved.
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