Three secret job interview weapons that will help you pip others to the post.
Yes, you have to prepare.
If you fail to prepare you prepare to fail! (that old cliche huh!?)
I know – it feels more comfortable to push interview anxiety to the back of your mind and hope to wing it on the day, but this strategy rarely leads to a successful outcome.
Yes, the content of your answers is important but you can also add value by working on your delivery, in particular non-verbal communication and tone of voice.
Why?
Because much of our communication comes through body language and tone of voice. So, if you’ve made it to the final round of interviews, you almost certainly have the skills and experience for the job.
What is going to set you apart is your ability to form a strong personal connection with the interviewer and come across as trustworthy and authentic. In other words, ‘charisma’ is what’s going to make you stand out.
Fox Cabane (2012) identified three elements that create personal charisma:
Presence, Power and Warmth….
And these are your interview secret weapons!
The good news is that these can be practised and learnt! Hoorah!
No.1 Presence
(Paying attention in the moment)
This can be developed with simple mindfulness exercises, such as focusing on your breathing and returning your attention to the breath whenever you get distracted.
This type of exercise can help you to improve focus and concentration, which will help you pay attention to what is happening in the interview and the interviewers rather than being distracted by your own nerves or internal dialogue.
Tip: If you find yourself getting anxious in an interview and it’s getting in the way of thinking clearly, ground yourself in the present moment. Do this by noticing your feet on the floor, your bottom on the chair and your breathing coming in and out. This will help you get out of a state of anxiety better than reason and logic.
No.2 Power
(A sense of personal power and confidence)
This is where body language comes into play. It’s hard to feel powerful when slumped in a chair or sat with arms and feet crossed. Cuddy (2016) found that practising a “power pose”, such as hands raised above the head in a victory V before an interview (in the loos or off camera of course!) can have a significant impact on performance.
Tip: Three ways to boost your charisma and form a strong connection with someone you have just met: (Fox Cabane 2012)
- Lower the intonation of your voice at the end of sentences;
- Reduce how quickly you speak and how often you speak;
- Pause for 2 seconds before you speak.
Feeling brave? Some suggestions:
o Record yourself on your phone speaking in your usual voice and then speaking more slowly and altering your intonation;
o Record yourself speaking with a serious face and then speaking with a smile or warmer expression.
Yes, you’ll feel uncomfortable watching yourself back and listening to your own voice, as it will inevitably sound different to the way you think you sound.
However, it’s such a useful exercise, as you may also recognise potential speech issues that may be negatively impacting how you appear to others. Such as mumbling, verbal fillers (you know, sort of, um) or raising your voice at the end of a sentence, which conveys a lack of confidence in one’s opinions.
Tip: Develop strength in your voice by singing loudly in the shower or car. This will develop confidence in the sound of your own voice and will also get you in a positive mental state before or on the way to an interview.
No.3 Warmth
(Forming a connection with others)
This may come easily to you, but if it doesn’t and you sometimes come across as cold or hard to reach, then it is worth exploring how you feel about your own levels of warmth and compassion for others.
By making a conscious effort to empathise with others and wishing them well can increase your sense of warmth. You could spend some time imagining how the interviewers are feeling, imagining that they might be nervous as well.
Interviewers are ordinary people and may welcome a friendly face during the interview process.
If you’d like to develop your level of warmth, you could try a guided compassion meditation. You can google ‘loving kindness meditation’ or if you prefer a recommendation, try the Befriending Meditation on Danny Penman’s Frantic World site. In order to see a difference in your feelings of warmth, you’ll need to do the meditation every day for five days.
My personal power statement
I’d like to finish by sharing an interview anecdote regarding secret weapon no.2 ‘Power'. My most memorable piece of interview advice was given to me by my older sister. It was for my first teaching job after qualifying. I was sat waiting in the car getting ready to go in, so called her for a pep talk. Her parting words were:
‘Remember, Jo, YOU are the best and everyone else is sh--!'
Candid and arrogant? Yes.
Confidence and power boosting? Yes.
Must have helped though, as I got the job.
What could your personal power statement be?
References: Creative Career Coaching, 2019, Hambly & Bomford
