9 Tricks That Can Help You Ace Any Job Interview

Tips
year ago

Most of us have had a job interview at least once. Sometimes it seems that everything went well, but the final job offer never came. It turns out that employers have to take many factors into account before hiring a person, and we are not always aware of them.

At Now I’ve Seen Everything, we decided to find out what else, apart from a good CV, can help you get the desired job.

1. Avoid having an interview on Monday or Friday.

Psychologists and experienced HR managers have figured out the ideal day for a job interview: it’s Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. You are more likely to make a strong impression on the employer on this day, and here’s why: Monday is a tough day for everyone including HR managers. On Friday, everyone is busy thinking about their plans for the coming weekend. So, it’s best to have an interview in the middle of the week.

2. Your bare legs can ruin the impression of you.

The color of clothing affects the way other people perceive you: for example, blue, gray, or brown clothes emphasize that you’re a serious person. The only color that repels employers of all countries is orange. However, the color of your clothes is not the only thing you should keep in mind.

Wear tights. Surveys show that a woman who doesn’t wear tights at a job interview is labeled frivolous.

Wear heels. We perceive tall people as leaders and professionals. They even tend to have a higher salary than their shorter colleagues.

3. A trick that can make your interviewer sympathize with you

In psychology, there is the concept of positive reinforcement: when a positive outcome or reward follows a behavior. You can use this effect to your advantage.

Reinforcements can be different (praise, money), but when applying for a job, you can use the trick of similarity. An interviewer will subconsciously sympathize with an applicant if they have something in common like hobbies, tastes in clothes, music, books, etc. Even if you’re not a perfect candidate, the trick of similarity will help you get extra points.

4. You should avoid saying certain words.

Interviewers are prone to find certain words really irritating. Psychologists conducted a study which showed that the words “like” and “uh” reduced interviewees’ chances of getting a job.

However, avoiding these words will help you out only if your interviewer is older than 30. Young headhunters tend to be less interested in the precision of language.

5. Smiling can ruin the impression of you.

HR managers don’t tend to trust people who smile all the time during an interview. According to psychologists, such a person is considered frivolous by interviewers.

There is only one job type where smiling is encouraged — a job that involves working with other people (sales assistant, sales manager, etc.). In all other jobs, an interviewer would prefer a person who has a serious demeanor.

6. Go off-script in a job interview.

In large companies, HR managers conduct a lot of interviews which tend to be very similar to each other. An applicant usually answers questions about their experience mentioned on their resume, so an interview seems to be going according to some script.

If you want to stand out of the crowd, go off-script and say, “Let me talk about the things that are not on my resume.” This way, you’ll break the pattern and make a good impression.

7. Use the reflective listening strategy.

All people are vain and love when others listen to them. HR managers are no exception. Psychologists recommend using a strategy called “reflexive listening.” This is a communication strategy that consists of 3 steps: “repeat,” “agree,” “add.” You should not only listen and nod but also make it clear that you have learned the information provided. For example:

Manager: “For this position, we are looking for a person who will work at least 8 hours a day from Monday to Friday, and is ready to work on weekends if necessary. We pay a bonus for this.”

You: “In other words, I will have a standard working week, but sometimes I’ll have to work overtime (‘repeat’). This is typical for our profession (‘agree’). But I think I can find a way to optimize processes so that no one has to work on weekends (‘add’).”

This tactic will help you become a great negotiator.

8. Don’t ask about the interview results.

After a job interview, we are always curious about the impression we’ve made on the interviewer. But you shouldn’t ask about it directly. The final decision is usually made by the company manager, so an HR manager simply can’t answer your question. Besides, this question may signify that you’re not a self-confident person.

9. The things that you do while waiting for the interviewer may also affect the result.

In an interview, every little thing matters: you are being evaluated even during the time while you are waiting for your interview. Headhunters don’t recommend chatting on the phone while sipping coffee because you don’t know when the HR manager will show up.

It’s always a good idea to keep your right hand free to shake the headhunter’s hand without delay. At the same time, it’s okay to chat with the receptionist or read a magazine that you’ve found at the reception.

Do you know any other tricks that can help you make a great impression at a job interview? Tell us in the comments below.

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