Please review - IELTS Task 2 Essay

Question: First impressions are important. Some people think that doing well in interviews is the key to securing a good job. To what extent do you agree?

Essay -

It is very important to begin social and professional interactions on a positive note as they tend to have a lasting effect. Doing well in interviews is considered by many as the most vital factor in landing a good job. I completely agree with this opinion as, in spite of having well qualified work experience and matching educational qualifications, if a person is not able to deliver a strong performance in interviews, it will affect their ability to differentiate themselves from others and also hamper negotiations for a handsome remuneration.

Apart from the technical prowess, the interview panel also observes the body language of a candidate. A well prepared and confident candidate will have a positive impact on the interviewers and that is usually the differentiating factor among competing job aspirants with similar credentials. Responses from top employers like Infosys, Wipro and others to a survey conducted by Indeed.com in 2018 revealed that when hiring a job applicant, their ability to impress the employer during job interviews ranked above other factors like education and experience.

An impressive performance during the interview gives the job aspirant an upper hand in negotiations for a good salary package. Employers are very flexible on the compensation package they offer when they are impressed with a candidate and are willing to pay them yearly packages at the higher end of the contemporary industry compensation range. For example, A friend of mine did exceptionally well in his job interview at Amazon and was able to negotiate a 50% increment over his current take home salary.

To conclude, it is absolutely imperative that candidates prepare well before attending interviews if they want to have a serious chance of landing their dream job. Well prepared candidates have an edge over other competitors and are also well positioned to command best in class compensation packages.