5 Ways To Build Rapport With Your Interviewer & Get The Job

By Kennedy Omondi,

The rapport you create with an interviewer, always goes a long way in determining whether you get the job or not. Hence, it is important that in the course of the interview you leaves a lasting impression. This is how to achieve this:

How To Build Rapport With The Interviewer

1.Give a good first Impression.
The way you present yourself in an interview really matters a lot. This is not only limited to dressing, but also the time one arrives for the interview. In terms of dressing, our clothes, hair, facial expressions, and our posture come into question.

These decisions will usually be made within the first few seconds of the encounter. It is therefore important to plan your clothes, and practice your posture and etiquette beforehand.

For instance, a dark clothing suggests authority, while on the other hand bright cloths will not reflect well with the interviewers as they do not communicate professionalism.

For an interview it is therefore preferred that one dresses formally and preferably in black, navy blue or gray. Avoid screaming colors like red, yellow etc.

2. Engage the Interviewer.

A candidate that engages the interviewer in the course of the interview comes out as one that knows what he wants. It is therefore advisable to have a back-and-forth interview contrary to the conventional one sided one where it is only the interviewers affair.

However, one should not interrupt the interviewer in the course of the interview but rather employ the turn-taking skills of communication.

The best way to go about this is by referring back to something said earlier. Note that engagement is not pre-planned as it will come out as forced, however, it should come out in the course of the interview.

3. Ask questions.
Asking questions is a way of showing your dire interest in the companies affair and they go a long way in creating a positive rapport with the interviewers.

When asking questions, give precedence in seeking clarification on things you’re not sure you understand. This is usually done towards the tail end of the interview.

Always make sure when you walk out the door you clearly understand what the job entails and the company culture the best you can.

4. Show gratitude.
This usually comes after the interview process. Make sure to appreciate the interviewer’s time. This will go a long way with the panel in as far as shortlisting is done.

5. Avoiding sensitive issues.
Make sure to avoid issues that are deemed sensitive when responding to questions or engaging the interviewer. This includes issues that touch on religion or politics.

Unless it is a job that involves these sectors, you should steer away from these since the interviewers might be having a contradicting opinion.