Interview Tips: Balancing Professionalism and Personality in the Interview

I think interviewing is nerve-racking because an interview is an in-person judgment. Rarely do you know the professional conducting your interview, unless seeking a promotion. So what is the strategy? How can you prepare to impress someone you don’t know?

 

First, be yourself. But be your professional self, not the I’m at a gathering on the weekend self! You have to show your true personality for the interviewer to gauge your fit to the position and company. If you are too rigid, you will fail to move forward in the hiring process.

 

Second, in showcasing your individualism, don’t forget you are trying to land this job. Think your answers through before you speak. Practicing before your interview (Mock Interview) can alleviate nerves and help create well-thought-out answers to probable questions.

 

Third, and most important, is maintain your professionalism. I was speaking with one of my coaching clients a few months ago and we came up with the phrase, ‘Speak to the interviewer(s) as if he/she is a potential Dealer.’

 

My client is skilled in B2B sales because she knows how to build robust and personable business relationships. However, she found herself potentially stepping over the professional line during her interviews, being a little too personable. I told her if she speaks to the interviewer with the same amount of professionalism as she does potential clients, she will have the perfect interview balance.

 

So next time before you step into that interview room remember, they want you to be successful after all the company is trying to hire one of you coming in for an interview. Show them you’re capable and friendly!

Until next Tuesday…

 

Comment Below: What do you struggle with during an interview?