Psychology impacts all human interactions one way or another. Implementation of smart psychological strategies during an interview can leave a lasting first impression. Succeeding in an interview depends on establishing a firm connection with your interviewer.
For increased chances of landing your dream job, the impact of psychological factors is significant. For example, marketing companies use color psychology for grabbing the attention of buyers.
The following article lists several psychological tricks to perform well in an interview.
Interview Tips and Tricks: Psychological Tips to Excel in a Job Interview
Before going to an interview, it’s essential to learn several psychological hacks to turn your dream into reality.
Dress to impress
Your physical outlook says a lot about the aspects of your personality you want to highlight. While dressing up for your next interview, you must pay close attention to the team culture, environment, and ethics of the company you want to become a part of.
Color psychology is an effective technique to portray your personality traits in front of the interviewer. The following colors can be incorporated into your outfit to highlight your strengths adequately:
- Red color represents a bold and headstrong nature
- Blue represents a trustworthy and strong nature
- The yellow color scheme presents you like warm, optimistic, clear-headed
- Wear orange to appear cheerful, confident, and friendly
- Pink represents creativity, wisdom, and solid imagination
- Green represents you to be healthy and peaceful
- Gray represents calmness, balanced, and neutral
Tip: Incorporating colors matching your personality and job requirements is important to cast a lasting impression on your hiring manager.
Look for a perfect time slot
The time slot chosen for an interview is also very significant. If there is only a single available slot, then you have to take it. But if you are given a choice to mention your preferred interview timings, you must choose between 10 to 10:30 am. The day must be Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
These preferred timings have a positive psychological influence and make you feel more focused and alert. The probability of the hiring staff being in a decent mood is also high during these hours.
Tip: The interviewers are in a better space of mind during weekdays in the time slots starting from 10 to 10:30 am.
Sync with your interviewer’s body language and style
The feedback of your interviewer is vital in deciding whether you will be considered for the job position or not. You must impressively present yourself and resonate well with your personality.
Tip: The age of the hiring manager can give you a clue on how to conduct yourself during an interview.
- If your interviewer is aged between 20 to 30, highlight your multitasking abilities and provide visual samples of your best work
- If he/she is 30 to 50 years of age, focus on how your work/life balance adds to your success and the significance of being creative
- If the interviewer is aged between 50 to 70, demonstrate how hard work and ethics influence your attitude towards work
- If the hiring manager is 70 to 90 years old, emphasize the importance of being loyal and committed to your work
Tips: Mirroring your interviewer’s gestures and body language also adds to making the session more comfortable and friendly.
Highlight traits common in you and the interviewer
If you conduct some research on the shared interest of the hiring manager or the community services they participate in, this will help you discuss your common interests and establish a common ground.
This psychological technique is effective but you must not bring up common interests irrelevant to the interview.
Keep your tone sincere and non-promotional
Complimenting the interviewer and the organization you are interviewing for is a good idea if it’s not overdone. If the compliments sound promotional of self-praising it gives a negative impression. Being expressive in explaining your point of view also grabs the attention of the hiring staff.
Tip: Carrying out conversations that are non-promotional yet impressive is among the best ways to land your dream job.
Interview tips: strike a power pose
A power pose needs to be practiced and perfected before appearing for an interview. It has a great psychological impact on the participants of an interview and makes you look stronger and more confident.
Maintain eye contact with the interviewer
Maintaining solid eye contact during the initial phase of an interview makes you appear confident and intelligent. Afterward, you must look into the eyes of the hiring staff on and off.
The smile must be cautious, smiling too much doesn’t impress the interviewers and make you look fake. Not smiling at all makes you look stiff and unpleasant. You must smile moderately.
Be honest about your greatest weakness
Every interviewee is asked about their most prominent weaknesses. The answer to this question is very crucial. You must not mention a weakness that harms your overall impression.
The answer must be honest as every individual has a weakness. The psychological trick is to point out your weakness and explain how this flaw can be transformed into your strength.
Tip: Being honest and moderately humble about your weakness has a positive impact.
Summary
Everyone wants to outperform in their interviews if a dream job opportunity comes across. A lot of factors contribute to it such as psychological factors. Grabbing the attention of your hiring manager through several psychological tricks can elevate your chances of getting hired immensely.
Sam Najar, MBA
MBA from the Australian Institute of business. Over a decade working for IBM Australia and Oracle Europe and the Middle East. Worked on Artificial Intelligence technology for many years and believes that technology can help everyone better understand his/her personality and find the job they deserve.
EN 
DE 
ES 
FR 
PT 
JA