As you know, landing the job has a lot more to do than with just having the right resume. Not only do hiring managers look at your skills and employment history, they also want to make sure you’re a good match for the company culture. And the most common way hiring manager to do that, is through job interviews.
After researchers conducted numerous studies on the topic of job interviews, certain trends began to emerge. And when you learn the tips from these findings, you’ll be ahead of the competition during your next interview.
Set the Tone
In a job interview, first impressions are even more important than when you meet your in-laws for the first time. And numerous research studies show that the first impression is the most important part of the job interview.
When you learn to set the tone and shape your first impression, you can influence the outcome of the entire interview.
You can enhance your first impression by rehearsing a few lines about why you are the right person for the job. Research shows that this will influence the structure of the hiring manger’s memories around the session.
Feel Confident
Research clearly shows that people who felt powerful during an interview performed better. In one study, researchers primed a group of people with powerful images and the judges significantly preferred the power-primed candidates.
Another technique introduced by Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy called the “power pose,” can actually increase feelings of confidence in less than 2-minutes.
Whenever you’re about to enter a job interview, find a private place to practice a “power pose” Cuddy suggests. This pose involves making yourself bigger with your feet apart and stretching your arms up in a V-shape. If held for just two minutes, levels of testosterone have been seen to increase, along with a decrease in the stress hormone cortisol.
Here is another technique to summon confidence when you need it.
Cultivate Similarities to the Interviewer
Multiple studies have found that the key to acing a job interview and being liked by the hiring manager is being similar to them.
After careful study, it was found that the single most common mechanism utilized in the hiring decision was a candidate’s “similarity to her interviewer.”
With this in mind, enter your next job interview with an observant mind. Pick up on the cues the interviewer is giving off to you. Do they value education? Or real work experience? Do they have an outgoing persona? Or are they calm and reserved?
Identify these traits in your interviewer and mimic them slightly. You can also mimic body language which has been shown to build rapport. If they lean forward, you can as well. If they cross their legs, you can too.
Timing Your Interview
Although this might be out of your control, it has been shown that interviews conducted under certain circumstances actually have better results.
For example, research indicates that an interview goes better when it is held earlier in the day, the weather is sunny, and when you’re interviewed on a different day than your strongest competition.
Negotiate Salary the Right Way
The research on negotiations is deep and powerful. But the biggest factor to sealing the deal on a big offer is one thing according to Harvard’s MBA school. “They need to like you.”
According to Prof. Deepak Malhotra, the key to getting a higher salary and a better job offer is that they need to like you. And if you do things that make them like you less, you’re going to be less likely to get what you want. And second, the hiring company has to believe that you deserve it.
Therefore, the key to negotiating salary begins long before the job offer is made. You must build rapport with the interviewer and get them to like you. By using the other tips in this post, you can do that quite effectively.
Give a Strong Handshake
During a job interview, your handshake means a lot. In the few seconds it takes to give a handshake, a lot of information is conveyed and you can learn a lot about a person.
According to researchers at the University of Iowa, a strong handshake was even more important than other aspects of a job interview. The research has shown that the handshake is even more important than conscientiousness, agreeableness, or emotional stability.
The quality of the handshake has also been shown to be related to the quality of an interviewer’s recommendation.
Ask the Right Questions
When the interviewer inevitably asks you “do you have any questions for us?” they’re giving you an opportunity to really demonstrate your strength.
Not only does this section of the interview give you an opportunity to learn more about the role and the company but it also gives you an opportunity to impress the interviewer with insightful questions.
Preparing for Your Next Interview
As you prepare for your next job interview, incorporate these 7 tips and use research to your advantage. Not only will you be more likely to land the job by using these tips, you’ll also potentially receive a higher offer.