• Feb 17, 2025

Making a good first impression

Label yourself rather than be attributed a label.
Do you struggle with the tell me about yourself questions?

"If you make a good first impression, people are going to try to find evidence that you are, you know, good. They're going to find positive things about you. So I do think it, it is really important to spend, you know, a good amount of time on that."

Dave Wolovsky, Career coach, Effortwise consulting

Dave suggests to share something about yourself. You are going to be labelled, even by a hiring team who quickly make a shortcut to refer to an applicant "John the ..." - so why not make your own label?

"So you can choose what people will label you as, or you can let them do it."

"if you give them something a little bit vulnerable or just like personal, then that's going to be your label and and so you get to control that."

Dave Wolovsky, Career coach, Effortwise consulting

The formular goes-:

1. Label yourself.

2. Say what you've learned in the last, you know, X years that you've been working some whatever, the most impressive skill you've learned.

3. Give the most impressive examples - for example, in my role at such and such, we achieved these results.

4. Talk about your future (this can relate to the role) - I see myself...

Avoid Rambling

Often qualified people fail in interviews because they ramble.

They answer too long and somewhat go into irrelevant things.

"And the line I like is, I'm happy to say more, but I'll pause here for your thoughts."

"So it's very powerful to practice and memorize a line that you can use at the end of not all of your answers, but at least some of them."

Dave Wolovsky, Career coach, Effortwise consulting

Dave also suggests memorising a few short stories related to the interview. You just need to know a few points, not the whole story because it is your story.

"And these are things like, you know, a time that you grew from failure, or sort of made a mistake, changed a habit that kind of thing, a time when you collaborated with a team and like, what your role was in the team, any conflicts you managed, a time when you persuaded a co worker or your boss to do something, you know, to take an action, to show that You can kind of, you know, sell ideas to people, and another one that's good is just like a time when you overcame a really difficult challenge with whether it's, you know, tight deadline or low resources or something like that. So these are just some examples that cover a good amount of those sort of questions"

Dave Wolovsky, Career coach, Effortwise consulting

Facts can be disputed or disregarded - stories can give an insight into your decisions even if the listener (interviewer) does not agree with the facts.
refer article on how to talk to someone you disagree with

Body Language

Our gestures and habits when talking convey a message. This is referred to as body language.

"Your gestures, postures, and facial expressions can ignite understanding, build connections, and inspire confidence."

Understanding Body Language In Meetings

With the proliferation of smart phones, a simple personal video is easy. Practise answering questions and view your gestures and body language.

The takeaways

Making a first impression is important, whether for a job interview or as a tradie a quick discussion about a potential job.

Being able to articulate yourself without rambling or sounding like a "self-promoter" can be achieved by choosing relevant prepared short stories.

Sources and References

ABC Radio National - This working life - How to nail a job interview Fri 14 Feb 2025
Guest Dave Wolovsky, Career coach, Effortwise consulting
Lisa Leong, Presenter
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/this-working-life/how-to-nail-a-job-interview/104878580