Actresses know that in order to snag the part, they must deliver a performance that causes an emotional response in their audience. And while no Human Resource professional will ever admit this, most hires are made on an emotional basis—it’s called a “Gut.” In fact, a very close friend of mine who is a CEO of a big dot-com has done lots of hiring and told me that “Gut” is the single most influential factor in whether he hires someone or not—be it a man or a woman.
Here are a few ways you can give interviewers Good Gut:
Feel Powerful. Do whatever you have to do before you go to make yourself feel your own power. I once learned an invaluable lesson in an acting class in college. The professor told my class that we should always rehearse and perform in the exact shoes we feel the character would be wearing. He felt it would make us “feel” the authenticity of the part. To this day, I will always drop the bucks for the perfect shoes for every occasion, and I swear by it. If wearing sexy underwear or having a $100 bill in your purse gives you a feeling of power and confidence, make sure you do it for every job interview. When I went on (and still go to) interviews, I always had a professional manicure less than 24 hours old for just this reason, even if I had a perfectly done one only two days prior.
Eye contact. Look the interviewer in the eyes as often as you can. When we are nervous, we tend to not look people in the eye. If you don’t, though, the interviewer is likely to think you are lying. If you stink at looking people in the eye, look right between (on the bridge of the nose); the interviewer can’t tell the difference. Practice this – you CAN do it. Looking people in the eye comes from habit, not heredity.
Handshake. Not too firm (owieee), please not too soft (eeewwwee), no limp wrist, no clammy mitts (wipe ’em!). Thumb joint to thumb joint. Practice this, too. Ask your close guy friends to evaluate your handshake on a scale of one to ten. Keep working on it till they all say ten. Also, don’t wait for someone to stick out his hand. You go first. And don’t stick that hand out there without the smile. If you are on the receiving end of the deadfish, try not to wince, and don’t wipe your hand on your thigh if you’ve been clammied.
Connect. Say something nice. “Nice shoes, beautiful office, cool tie,” which in essence tells the interviewer: “You make good choices, of which I will be one.” But don’t try too hard.
Read the signals. If they’ve capped their pen, you are talking too much. When they stop taking notes, stop talking. If they close their pads, look at their watch, or drum anything including fingers on their forehead, shift gears, stop pontificating, and ask your interviewer a super smart question: “This seems like a fabulous place to work. How long have you worked here at Sider Road Media?” Make sure you say the name of the company correctly!
Be comfortable in silence. Sometimes interviewers are just thinking, or they might be trying to test how quickly you become uncomfortable. Don’t feel the need to fill the void with babble.
Make her job easier. Chances are good the interviewer is not prepared. Make it easier for her by bringing several crisp copies of your resume—make sure it is the exact same version you sent to the company originally. Also arm yourself with some intelligent questions: “How does this job position fit in with Broken Record, Inc.’s main mission?” Honey, make sure you know what the mission is. To prepare the best questions, go to the company’s website and read the About Us section and surf through the industry association’s website. Some of The People Who Call Me admit that they never check out the company website until after their first interview, when they are sure they are really interested in the job. Most of the time, at that point it’s too late, and the second interview never comes. Do your homework before you go.
This post was previously on Huffington Post.