Perturb your enthusiasm
Strictly business approach isn’t always an ideal strategy for job seekers
Michael Vaughn, a 44-yearold public safety analyst in Bloomington, Illinois, says he recently was asked to put together a team for a 12-month project. “I had interviews — more like casual conversations — with about eight people and I only needed three,” Vaughn says. “Most of them had the exact same qualifications so to choose the final three, I basically used the same criteria I used when I managed a Subway in town — I invited the people who seemed like they actually wanted the job.”
Vaughn says his Subway experience, which involved hiring students from two nearby universities, taught him that the candidates who showed a little enthusiasm during job interviews made for better employees. “These were kids from Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan who were looking for some spending money but some of them treated the interview like they were on trial in a courtroom, like they were mad about even being there,” he says. “The kids who smiled and seemed at ease were just a lot easier to hire.”
If you’re looking for an edge over other candidates in your job search, consider ramping up your enthusiasm when discussing the opportunity with your potential employer. Here are seven tips to help differentiate yourself from your all-business counterparts: 1. Make a confident interview
entrance: First impressions matter, whether they’re with the receptionist at the front desk or with your future CEO. If you had a rough commute to the interview, duck away into a bathroom to freshen up. The sweaty, disheveled interviewee begins the process 100 yards behind other job applicants. You may come up with some blockbuster answers but when you enter the elevator to head back down to the lobby for your commute home, the interviewing team probably will comment more on your untucked shirt and sweaty forehead than your confidence and skills.
2. Make eye contact: It seems so simple but most interviewees would be surprised at how often they look away from their interviewers. If you feel uncomfortable looking directly into someone’s eyes, pick a spot nearby, like their nose or forehead. You should always be certain that the person you’re speaking with knows that they have your undivided attention. An occasional glance away or down to your notes is one thing but that faraway look in your eyes while you stare out the window at the parking lot is probably a sure-fire way to let your recruiter know that you’re not interested in the job. 3. Be mindful of your body language. Sit up straight, shoulders back, head up — yes, all the things your teacher told you to do back in second grade still apply. Don’t be fooled by the casual workplaces of today. Managers still want workers who look the part.
4. Be happy. No one’s asking you to enter an interview wearing a clown nose. You’re not expected to give humorous observations of today’s current events or tell long-winded jokes that you heard from Uncle Joe on Thanksgiving in 1989. But no one likes a sulker either. Those monotone answers you give your mother when she asks you when you’re going to move out of her house won’t cut it with your potential manager. No one wants to hire the emo kid. In the job-search context, the inability to crack a smile doesn’t make you mysterious or interesting — it just makes you less hireable. 5. Use names when communicating. You should know in advance who you’re interviewing with but there are likely to be some last-minute employees pulled in to ask you a few questions. After you’re introduced, make sure you say their names two or three times while they’re in the room.
Don’t go overboard. No one’s asking you to do that annoying sales thing where you put someone’s name at the beginning and end of each sentence. It’s just smart to make a personal connection with the people who may have a say in whether or not you’re hired. Saying someone’s name is a simple way to not only acknowledge their existence but also let them know that in your mind, you’re already on the way to becoming a member of the team.
6. Say that you want the job. All the qualifications in the world may not be enough to merit a job offer if your interviewer thinks you’re going through the motions or checking off a few obligatory companies before settling on your dream job. Before the interview ends, let them know in no uncertain terms that you want the job. No need to be clever or excessively wordy — just say you want the job, as in “I want this job.” It’s as simple as that. 7. Follow up with all the key players. It’s important to be in touch shortly after the interview to reinforce all the positive gains you made while speaking face-toface. Keep your message short and simple but reiterate your excitement about the possibility of working there.