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Make a Lasting First Impression
Interviews are won in the first five minutes and confirmed in the last five. These mentor-tested habits make both moments count.
Arrive with a story, not a summary
Open with a two-minute narrative: where you started, the turn that shaped you, and why this role is the next chapter. Stories stick; chronologies blur.
Ask the question they remember
End with one sharp question about the team’s hardest problem. It signals you are already thinking like an insider — and interviewers quote it in debriefs.
Key takeaways
- Prepare a two-minute story, not a life history.
- Research the interviewer, not just the company.
- Follow up within 24 hours with one specific reference.
Want a mentor to walk you through this?
Join a Tidegate course and practise with personal feedback.