Welcome to step four, first response. In this lecture, we're going to look at the importance of how you respond to your employer right from the start. Now, it's from this moment that the clock starts ticking, you're being assessed straightaway. So far, the company that you're applying for would have gone through your CV and your cover letter, and they're already making an assessment of you. So how you respond to their first contact will affect how they start to create their first opinion of you. How keen should you sound?

Well, you don't want to sound too desperate, but it doesn't hurt to sound excited about the fact that you've been selected for the interview. Make sure that you're prepared to take the call and have the time to answer any questions they have. Consider how this might be difficult in your current workplace. If you Unable to speak. If this is the case, simply ask the person if it's possible to call them back shortly as you're unable to speak right now they will understand your situation. Now, know your diary and be prepared to be available for the interview.

Although it may be difficult for you to get out of work, consider that it's also difficult for the interviewers to meet you outside of their normal working hours. Think ahead and know your upcoming work schedule, so you can arrange a time to attend the interview without sounding flustered on the phone whilst frantically checking your diary as they wait on the other line. Now, it's important to show flexibility that you are prepared to interview around their hours rather than your own. At this point, you should ask if they have any specific requirements. For example, do you need to bring along anything such as a portfolio or certificates of qualifications? This is also a great opportunity to ask who will be present in the interview.

Now we discussed this in step three and research about why you should ask for this information. Knowing who will be present will be so useful for you and assisting you in your preparation. And it's also going to provide you more insights into the way that the company's interview procedure occurs. Right. So let's look at a couple of examples. They may explain to you that this is simply a preliminary interview to meet with HR or they may tell you that the head of the department or head of technical will be present, which again is going to give you a greater insight into what will occur during the interview.

A final question to ask is about the interview procedure, as this will help you to understand how this selection process works. For example, how many interviews you have to attend how long the process will take as they may not make a decision for six weeks, and other information that may impact how you prepare for the interview. So in summary, remember the interview starts from the moment you have your first communication with the employer. Don't dismiss the importance of how you come across in both your answers and how you talk on the phone or through your responses in email. Remember the interview starts from that first point of contact