If you’ve been asked to attend a job interview it obviously means that the employer is clearly happy with your credentials. Your professionally written CV has gotten you to the most important stage of the process, and now it’s time for your personality to take over.
You must be polite and respectful, whilst remaining positive and passionate about the role. In addition, here are 4 ways to use your personality to ace a job interview…
1. Be confident
Using confident body language will not only project a positive attitude, it will also make you feel more confident. It’s a bit like telling someone to smile but don’t feel happy at the same time – it’s quite hard to do.
You will of course be feeling very nervous and anxious, but you have to ensure that doesn’t show through. Acting confident will instantly help you get over those expected nerves, and help the interview go much smoother.
Breathing is one of the best ways to shake off some of the interview nerves. Take lots of deep breaths before you go in and greet everyone with a smile and a firm handshake. Sit straight and don’t slump or lean back. Slouching in your chair will show that you are not interested in being there, whilst leaning back will look overconfident to the point of arrogance.
Look everyone in the eye when you are engaging in conversation, and when there is more than one interviewer you should ensure you address everyone during your answers. This will show that you respect everyone in the room, and not just for the person who asked the question.
2. Show respect to everyone
No matter who you come into contact with on your way to the interview room, you should treat everyone with respect. You never know who might be reporting back to the interviewer, and every opinion of you could affect your chances of success.
You could be greeted by another member of the team you could be working with, so making a good impression with them could pay dividends. They are likely to be questioned by the manager or could even volunteer their thoughts on you. Make sure it’s a positive review that they give!
Don’t forget that simple things like arriving on time also show your respect for your interviewer, according to Delvin Jones at Wikihow. The folks at Job Coconut also remind us that dressing well shows respect.
3. Tell a tale
When discussing a previous role you may want to grab the opportunity to recall a funny story that happened at work. Try to keep it appropriate for obvious reasons, and consider planning it in advance so you don’t have to improvise.
Having a couple of funny stories up your sleeve ready to pull out at any moment is a great way to bring out your personality in the interview. It will help to relieve some tension in the room, and if you’re a great story teller you could dramatically increase your chances of being hired. Personality is everything in a job interview, so try to get them eating out of the palm of your hand.
“Try out your story with a friend or partner to see how they react beforehand,” recommends Martin Carline at CV Template Master. This will give you confirmation that your story is appropriate and actually funny.
4. Thank them for the opportunity
At the end of the interview you should thank them for their time and the opportunity. The end of an interview is a little bit like listening to a live band. If the guitar player caught a few bum notes or the drummer skipped a beat during the song, it can all be forgotten if the ending of the song is spectacular.
You are bound to make a few mistakes during the interview, or at the very least think you have, so closing out with a couple of your own questions is also a good idea. Make the interviewer realise that you are passionate and very interested in the role, which means you should not hesitate to ask your own questions at the end.
After you’ve thanked them you should also send a thank you email or letter directly to the hiring manager to again thank them for the opportunity. This will further backup your interest in the role and keep your name at the top of their thoughts.