How to Look Professional (Even with Zero Experience) at Your First Interview

Upon graduating from college or university, you have to get ready to enter the whole new realm spreading in front you: working world. Job hunting is a full-time job in itself. Amidst today’s economic slowdown, organisations seek to fetch potential candidates who can demonstrate their capabilities to thrive in the business. While you might have good grades written on your resume, this will not be much help unless you can showcase convincing performance during the interview session.

The problem lies on the fact that many fresh graduates, despite receiving cum laude honors, actually do not possess enough work experience. Whereas, more than just considering the excellent GPA, hiring managers also weigh down on candidate’s experience in the related field, to decide whether they will be a good fit for the company or not. While this strategy is quite effective for employers to prevent the cost of wrong hires, this might come as a bad news for fresh graduates, as they usually have limited work experience, or even none at all.

So the question remains, how can you manage your performance to look professional even with zero experience, pull off your first interview with a positive note, and eventually land the job? Here’s how:

Craft a Professional Resume

Resume is the first thing that will connect you with potential employers. This piece of paper does not only contain your personal information, but also professional qualification. If you want to pass the screening process and get an interview invitation, it is crucial to craft a professional resume that highlights your skills and knowledge.

While people usually put their work experience on their resumes, this might be difficult for fresh graduates with none. Therefore, you can begin from listing your education and stressing your achievements. If you have work-related experiences such as volunteering, internship, or part-time jobs, you should include them in the resume too. Then, you can get into other skills, such as leadership or language fluency.

Dress for Success

Imagine you are going to a formal interview wearing a T-shirt and pair of jeans. Is that appropriate? The answer is a definite ‘NO’. While it is true that we should never judge a book by its cover, it is undeniable that your look will be the first thing your interviewers will rate you on. That being said, you should pay attention to how you dress for the part. Take some time to prep the outfit in advance, such that you can get ready earlier on the D-day.

The most important thing in dressing professionally for an interview is to wear something comfortable that represents your character. Instead of making dress-code experiment and wear something too flashy, you should dress smartly by choosing something simple and conventional. You should not wear too much accessories, jewelries, and even perfume or aftershave, as this will only distract the interviewer’s attention.

Adjust Your Attitude

You have killer resume and convincing look, now it all comes to how you behave. Remember that the interviewers pay detailed attention to every gesture you make, from the moment you enter the room until you leave it.

Nothing is worse than arriving late on your first interview. Therefore, use your time wisely and arrive at the office ahead of time. This will not only help you prepare yourself before entering the room, but also give you some time to look around the building.

During the interview, keep yourself on the ground and not get distracted. Turning off your phone or gadgets will help you do this. You should stay focus by maintaining eye contact and listening carefully to what they are saying. When answering questions, it is important to always be honest and just be yourself.

Do Your Homework

This goes without saying that doing research about the company’s business is a crucial thing for interview candidates. The interviewers will test your knowledge about the organisation to see whether you are really interested in the position or not. Therefore, make sure that you do your homework well and nail every questions they throw.

Do you have any tips to look professional during interview? Share with us!