So, a week from Monday I have the first of what would be many interviews for **my Dream Job.**tm.*I wish I knew how to code.
Needless to say, that since it is THE JOB, chances are I will be blindingly nervous. So now, I’m trying to use all of the ‘little tricks’ that people do to appear intelligent, likable, and leave a good impression.
An example, is using a person’s name in conversation after being introduced. People just like hearing their name, and it makes you seem to be attentive, engaged, etc. etc.
Does anyone else use any other psychology tricks that they’d care to impart?? If I do end up with the DREAM JOB, I will give credit where credit is due, perhaps with a pie.
I would talk about the job in the first person – “What would be my duties?” rather than “what are the duties of the person in this position?”
I would research the company and know a few things about what they make or what they do, and ask some questions about their products that show you know more than the average joe.
Tell us something about the job – it might help coming up with more ideas.
It’s a Canadian federal government job, doing research. I’ve been reading about it all day today, specifically it’s mandate and role. Which means it’s all government-speak, meaning you have to suss through it in order to find the basic meaning. I’m fairly crossed-eyed by now.
I’m really just looking for tricks in order to convey personality, because I find it hard to be anything other than extremely formal, and professional to the point of rigid in interviews. I’m always afraid that I’ll go TOO far, and say something TOO informal, so I always err on the side of caution. However, I really, REALLY want this job, and want to loosen up a bit for it.
Make eye contact. Dress appropriately. Use your very best manners and courtesy. Smile like you mean it.
Try to be as personable as you can–connect with the interviewer in a positive way. Try for a light touch of humor, but avoid it all together is your sense of humor is at all dicey. Don’t say a negative thing about your current job, previous jobs or anything at all. Mistakes are opportunities to make changes, not fuck ups, etc.
Be careful about the whole using-their-name-a-lot thing. It can read very differently depending on the relationship between the two people. From some people, to me, it feels like an attempt at establishing dominance.
The most important thing is to appear self confident and at ease with both yourself and your surroundings. The best way to accomplish this is to not want the job. Work on it. Convince yourself that you’d like the job, but it wouldn’t bother you in the least not to get it. Believe me this can be done.
I was a general manager for a very large company and myself, my staff, and my human resources manager all agreed these two attributes were by far the most important.
(Unless of course the job was purely technical in nature with no possibility of future promotions)
Okay, this might be a little weird, but it worked for me. I had to meet with a mediator whom I knew would be predisposed against me because of the other party’s NPD charm. There was a lot at stake.
I googled the person’s name, found out what they were into, and then found a way to mention the topic (in this case, a particular kind of sport) in a positive light during the interview.
Takes a little finesse. But, my own outcome I think was far better than it might have been. I was sure to send him a follow-up note thanking him for his time.
Seconding this - I’ve had people use my name so much in a conversation it really weirded me out. I talked to this woman on the phone the other day and it was “Jaade, thank you for your time”, “I appreciate you calling me back, Jaade” and “Hold on, Jaade, let me get a pen”. Using someone’s name can be a good thing, if done judiciously. Over-using it is as bad as forgetting it altogether, IMO.
Seconded. I’ve seen some scientific quotes to back this up.
Dress like the people already working there, so the interviewers will subconsciously feel you “fit in”. Perhaps you could scout the workfloor beforehand, to get a feel for how the people dress, interact, the level of formality, etc?
I’ve been on a lot of interview panels in 30+ years in government. These ideas may work for you:
Make a list of the things you want to tell them about yourself. Bring it with you.
As you answer the questions that are asked, look for ways to bring up those things.
If there are some remaining, use the opportunity at the end of the interview to mention them.
If this is your ideal job, make notes on why and let the interviewers know this. Sometimes in a close situation, the candidate who best expresses why they want this particular job gets the nod.
Most candidates are very nervous. Sometimes it’s best to just acknowledge it. I remember interviewing one candidate who was so nervous his hands were shaking and he dropped his pen. Instead of ignoring it, he said something like “Well, I guess it’s pretty obvious I’m incredibly nervous. Please bear with me–I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself beause I really want this job. I expect half way through the first question I’ll be more like my normal self.” His candor put us (the interview panel) at ease and he ended up getting hired.