Novel Tips for a Successful Interview – Charisma

When researching successful interview tips I find a lot of articles, social media posts, and top lists. Most state the obvious; be on time, dress the part, etc. Some offer some great advice and go further in-depth; research the job/company, prepare, follow-up, etc. However, there is not much said about a topic we find to be a critical piece in every interview- charisma.

The truth is, people make judgments on our character and how employable we are, by the way we present ourselves; how we look and behave.

According to a psychological study by Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov, professor of psychology at Princeton; people can make judgments about an individual’s trustworthiness, competence, likeability, and much more within 100 milliseconds (one-tenth of a second) of seeing their face.

As superficial as this all sounds, it is the truth. But, another truth is that interpersonal capabilities like attitude, listening, and respect play an equal role, especially in the workplace.

In hopes of better preparing you for the next job interview, we invite you to read over our novel tips for a successful interview, focused on charisma:

 

Facial expressions

Some of you might have already mastered your smile, however, based on our daily experience there are plenty who have not.

I know it can be hard to control your facial emotion during an interview, but it is possible for almost everyone to show those pearly-whites. There are so much data-driven psychological studies on how smiles can be beneficial for creating relationships, building trust, and much more. When someone smiles people automatically perceive that person as warmer and more sociable, compared to a scowl or inexpression.

In situations like interviews where first impressions matter- smile.

Another tip on facial expression is rising your eyebrows and nodding/tilting your head during a conversation, occasionally. An interview is not a time to worry about wrinkles.

Our brains automatically and continuously assess our environments for danger, it is no different in the interview process. By smiling, raising your eyebrows, and nodding you are showing engaging features to the conversation while affirming you are not a threat.

 

Body language

Sometimes it can be hard to read a room and know how you are supposed to behave. The best way to combat those nerves is to mirror the body language of another person.

Mirroring is a common psychological trait that we all exercise, it involves brain cells (mirror neurons) that activate when we watch someone perform an action that we can also perform.

When interacting in an interview, pay attention to the interviewer’s body language, volume, how they talk, etc. Mirroring their body language will help you maintain their level of expected energy as well as build a good rapport. Mimicry has been found to be a critical part of social intelligence and can lead to likeability, trustworthiness, and competence, but only when done at the right times. Success depends on mirroring the right person at the right time.

An example could be when your interviewer laughs, you laugh as well, but at a lesser volume. Or if they shift their body/cross their leg, you may change your own position as well, just don’t copy exactly what they did.

You can even test how well a conversation is going by smiling or shifting your position and observing if the interview mirrored your behavior. If you smile and lean back in your chair and they repeat your action, chances are it is probably going well.

 

Conversation

The faster an individual discloses something personal about themselves to someone, the quicker that relationship develops.

Meaning, during your interviewer process, if you can get your interviewer to open up and share details about themselves then it will be easier for you to develop a relationship; and get hired.

Another recommended tip on conversation is revealing details about yourself little by little. One common mistake is overwhelming people with too much information and putting them off. Instead, share small details about yourself gradually and only when asked, let every detail about yours be like a clue. Curiosity keeps the interest going.