PERSONALITY WINS THE JOB INTERVIEW

By Andy Wainer

It is well known that what you say during a job interview is very important. However, studies now show that HOW you communicate, HOW you present yourself, HOW you sit and comport yourself and HOW you interact with the interviewer during an interview, may be even more important. We call these factors "Personality Factors". In a recent survey of New York hiring managers, personality . including such traits as energy, positive attitude and enthusiasm - ranked ahead of experience as a key factor in hiring decisions!

As a Career Counselor, many of my clients have asked me, "What is the real purpose of a job interview? After all, the answers to many of the questions they ask can be found on my resume!" The word interview is derived from the Latin, meaning "to see about each other". Primarily, the purpose of an interview is so the employer can assess your personality traits that are considered to be the most important in the workplace: your communication skills, enthusiasm, self-confidence, interpersonal skills, ambition and even your appearance. These traits can be evaluated, to some degree, during an interview.

Before the Interview

Your assessment begins before the interview. You should be dressed professionally; conservatively and neatly - Wear wrinkle-free clothing; pay attention to your hair, hands and fingernails, and be sure your shoes look good. Men need a good shave; women should avoid overdoing the jewelry. Both genders should smell nice but avoid overdoing fragrance. Be sure your clothes have no stains.

Arrive 10-15 minutes early and be courteous & polite to the secretary; in fact, learn his or her name for future follow-up. If you tend to get overly nervous, be sure to do a relaxation exercise, such as deep breathing or muscle tensing & relaxing, before the interview. (Read "How to Calm Your Interview Jitters" on www.collegejournal.com) Next, be sure to greet the interviewer by name, warmly, with a firm handshake and a smile. Wait to sit until you are invited to do so.

Body Language/Non-Verbal Communication

Maintain a firm - but not stiff - formal, upright, business position during the interview. Sit up straight; have an open, receptive posture, indicating you are listening attentively and eager to discuss your knowledge, skills, abilities and accomplishments, as well as what you can contribute to the company. In fact, lean forward slightly; this helps you to avoid seeming too rigid and adds to your open receptiveness. Avoid crossing your arms, and, if possible, your legs as well. Don.t fidget, slouch or lean back in a relaxed, informal manner. Maintain good, steady eye contact, no different than when you are with a co-worker, friend, family member, etc. To emphasize your most relevant strengths and accomplishments, "talk with your hands" several times during the interview. This will give you some good energy and add dramatic effect to your words. But as with all tips, don't overdo it!

Matching

Try to match the personality of the interviewer. Research shows that you will be received more favorably if you do a fairly good job of matching the interviewer's pitch and tone, pace of talking, smiling, nodding, body posture and enthusiasm. In other words, if the interviewer is talking rapidly, you may need to pick up your pace a bit. If she is nodding frequently, you should nod at least sometimes (appropriately of course). So pay close attention to these things! However, don't fake your personality range, and, again, don't overdo anything. Matching should almost be sub-conscious: if you.re 100% focused, and fully concentrating, and well-prepared, with an open, receptive body posture, you'll be fine.

Other Tips

Appear to be in control of your destiny! If the subject comes up, you have gone on some interviews and have some more coming up. Never appear desperate. Never cut off the interviewer when he's talking. Try to make a connection with the interviewer: if you see a photo, or picture, or memento in the office that you can say something about, or ask a question, try it - it takes some of the pressure off both of you and helps bridge the gap. Keep your answers brief. Don't forget to research the employer before the interview.

Closing the Interview

To close the interview, smile, give a firm handshake again, thank the interviewer for the opportunity to interview, and reiterate why you are interested in the position, and that you expect to receive a positive response in a few days. Ask about the next step - will there be a second round of interviews? Is there a timetable? Be sure to get the interviewer's business card. Mention anything about your strengths or what you can contribute to the company that you may have not yet said. When you get home, compose a good thank you letter on your computer, and mail it, and e-mail a brief thank you as well. Follow up with a call in a few days if you haven't heard back from the employer.

Summary

Every interview is an opportunity to practice your interviewing skills, to learn about the art of interviewing, and to improve for the next interview. See it as a challenge - you can even have fun! If you have this kind of attitude, I guarantee more interviewing success.

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