This isn’t your run-of-the-mill ‘interview tips’ article. What I’m about to share will transform the way you approach interviews. I’m here to tweak your mindset (trust me, it needs tweaking) and hand you persuasion hacks that will skyrocket your chances against other candidates.
Why Trust Me?
Having spent years in middle management, I’ve been on both sides of the interview table. What I’m about to share with you comes not just from my experience as an interviewee, but more importantly, from what I’ve seen firsthand as an interviewer.
Besides that, I’m a student of persuasion and a self-improvement junkie. I study the best minds in these fields, learn from them, and synthesize my thoughts to create original content in easily digestible form. Check out the free articles and decide for yourself if I have valuable advice for you.
Now, let’s dive in!
The Decisive Factor
Your answers to interview questions matter, sure. But often, they’re not the decisive factor. Most of the time, it’s one or two standout qualities that sway interviewers.
If you have something that sets you apart from everyone else, that trait alone will leave a lasting impression. Likewise, if something you say clicks with the interviewer, and you notice it in their body language, know that the decision to hire you has been made right then. The rest of the interview is just a formality unless you’re trying hard to fail.
Remember, people are irrational. Your interviewer is no exception. Your job is to tap into their irrational side and make them believe you’re the best fit.
YOU WILL BE THE BEST CANDIDATE!
I won’t give you the same recycled advice you’ll find online. The only traditional tip I’ll cover is your attire. Let’s start there.
The Attire
For men, formal attire is non-negotiable. A light-colored shirt with contrasting trousers, polished shoes, a belt, a formal watch, and top-tier grooming. If the role requires it, wear a suit.
If you aren’t the best-dressed person in the room, you’ve already lost ground. Being the sharpest-dressed candidate can boost your odds of success by 25-30% right off the bat.
Résumé & Documents
Bring your résumé (pronounced rez-oo-may) and any supporting documents in a quality portfolio, preferably leather and slightly heavy. When you hand it over to the interviewer, it instantly feels more substantial.
The way our irrational brains are wired, if you hold a leather-made, heavier document folder, you’re more likely to judge the contents of it as more important than if you hold the same documents in a flimsy plastic folder.
In the same vain, if you’re only carrying your résumé, make sure it is printed on a résumé paper with the highest quality, embossed printing—like the one on bank notes where you can feel the letters with fingertips. Résumé paper is thicker and heavier than a normal paper.
This, combined with being the best-dressed, can boost your chances by 40%. First impressions matter. Once they see you in a positive light, they’ll keep seeing you that way.
The Greeting
When asked, "How are you doing?" don’t just say, "I’m fine." Say, "I’m doing great, and how’s your day going?"
By asking about their day you didn’t just answer their question because you had to, but you took interest in them and made them feel important. You’ll see that on their face right away before they answer you on that.
And of course, this will also help set you apart, because no one else is going to ask them how their day going. They’ll reward you for it.
The Art of Fabrication
You’ll likely get asked situational questions like, "Have you ever dealt with situation X or Y?"
Remember, you have always faced the situations they are asking about. And not only have you faced them, but you’ve also handled them like a pro. Never say that you have not faced such-and-such situation in your professional life.
If you haven’t, you are going to have to make up stories. Fabricate.
This is where you’ll fail if you’re dumb. So even if you’re not creative enough to come up with innovative solutions to various challenges at the workplace, you must be intelligent enough to notice when you see one.
First, make a list of all potential situational questions they might ask in an interview. Then look around in your current workplace to find those challenges and observe how they are being tackled by the smart people in charge. Make notes and sprinkle your imagination.
When asked a situational question, tell those anecdotes in your interviews.
For this purpose, always be observant of smart and creative people at your workplace. Even if you are smart yourself, it’s possible that you wouldn’t come across all the challenging situations that they’d ask about in the interview. So it is always a good idea to keep a repertoire of fabricated anecdotes ready.
Claim the Low-Hanging Fruit
When asked about past performance or appraisals, don’t fumble. If you haven’t been top-rated, lie.
As an interviewer, I’ve heard countless candidates say how their past performance rating was not good because blah blah blah... Losers!
Don’t be one of them.
Most companies don’t verify past performance with previous employers. Those points are yours to claim. Always say you were a top performer.
Selling Yourself
A job interview is a sales pitch. You’re selling yourself.
In sales, exaggeration and fabrication are common. You wouldn’t own your favorite products if the advertisements had not outright lied about or exaggerated the benefits of those products.
If you shy away from stretching the truth in interviews, you lack a key sales skill.
And fabrication doesn’t mean you’re incompetent. In fact, if you’re talented, it’s even more important to sell yourself well. You don’t want to deprive the potential employer of your competent service by lacking the edge due to poor sales skills.
Constant Preparation
Always be preparing for interviews, even when you’re not actively looking for a job. Keep an interview notebook to jot down any noteworthy situations.
When you see someone else successfully tackle a challenge at work, note it down. Did someone come up with process improvement? Note it down. Use them as your own accomplishments at suitable times in the interview.
Keep building your repertoire of anecdotes. Interviewers need to hear those positive anecdotes.
Stay Sharp, Keep Learning
Treat interviews as learning experiences. Even when you’re not looking for a job, go for interviews.
When you don’t need the job, there’s no downside—you might stumble upon a better offer or learn something new. Every interview you don’t crack gets you closer to nailing the next one, provided you reflect and derive lessons from it.
There is no such thing as failure.
Record Your Interviews
Recording interviews (discreetly, of course) can help. Use a voice recorder on your phone to capture the entire conversation.
This way, you can replay it, analyze your performance, and identify areas for improvement. Just make sure your phone is in flight mode so the recording is not interrupted by an incoming call—which would be bad for the interview anyway.
The Final Impression
A lot has been said about leaving a lasting impression when you wrap up the interview.
My take? It doesn’t matter as much as people think.
Interviewers usually make up their minds during the first half. That said, maintain your confident frame, shake hands, and say, "It was great talking to you. Hope to see you again" with a smile. See what you did?
Now, go get that job!