Did you know that about 1/3 of interviewers make up their minds about whether or not to hire someone within the first 90 seconds?

By the time your job interview has lasted between 5 and 15 minutes, 52% of interviewers have made their decision.

When interviewers were asked about their decision-making process, they said that:

• More than half of their first impressions were created by how the candidate dressed, walked through the door, and acted.

• Almost half of the failed interviews were caused by candidates not knowing enough about the hiring company (I’ve rejected candidates due to this).

• More than 2/3 of the failed interviews were caused by candidates not making eye contact (I’ve talked about how important this is).

All of this may seem discouraging but flip it around. This means that fundamental social skills can get you past those first few critical minutes in a job interview.

I know that it sounds ridiculous, but it is true; people tend to hire people they like. If all candidates have r…