GUEST COMMENT: The 3 things that will blow your interview in the first 60 seconds

Lorraine Taylor, Head of Organisational Development, 7city Learning

Much as we may like to think we're rational creatures, research suggests we naturally make judgements on people within the first 5 - 10 seconds of meeting them. Like it or not, we can't stop this happening,

In an interview situation, those judgements go two ways. As an interviewee, you'll instantly judge the hiring company's building, meeting rooms, environment and the representative who interviews you. On the other hand, the interviewer will be judging whether you're the right person for the role based on your appearance, body language and initial communication.

The remaining 44 - 59 minutes are all about asking a set of consistent questions intended to establish whether these initial judgements were appropriate.

What can you do to ensure you don't blow your interview before it's even begun?

Don't wear brown shoes and fat ties

When working for a buy-side firm, I once interviewed a candidate who turned up wearing a cartoon tie... what message did that send about their understanding of the industry?

Equally, I have debriefed a graduate assessment centre in which the interviewers took some persuading that the, "No brown [shoes] in town" rule was insufficient reason to reject someone.

Don't have sweaty palms or a limp handshake

Want to work in a client facing role? Even if you dress appropriately, with sweaty palms and a limp handshake you may not be perceived as the right person to meet potential investors.

Don't harass the interviewer

I once had to stall an interview because the recruiting manager became delayed in a client meeting. The candidate's response ("Can you hurry up because I have to get back to work") showed no consideration for the manager's client-facing responsibilities. If you know you're going to be short on time, you should book an after-work interview or take annual leave.