How Can I 'Show My Personality' In Interviews ?

flea72

You dont have to dumb down, but you need to relax and show you can mix. People who come across as uptight and rigid, tend to cause an atmosphere within the work environment as they can be quite demanding of themselves and others.

Its ok to give flippant and jokey answers in interviews. I was asked in an interview once whether i spoke any foreign languages. I replied if they wanted a ham sandwich and coke, or to book a room with a shower in france, then i was their man. It showed i had basic conversational french and a sense of humour. It also opened up the conversation, so the tone became less formal and my personality could come through.

prowla

Just be yourself; don't put on a front.

I always judge interviews by whether I get at least two laughs (no, I'm not a comedian, I work in IT).

And remember that you are interviewing them too; I've turned down jobs in the past because I didn't like the would be manager.

cavework

Just an update..
ever been in sales?
You are selling a unique product no one else has to offer ...
You
You know this product inside out and you know it will deliver everything promised..
If the person you are trying to sell this to does not grab this opportunity with both hands immediately when it is offered to them , there will be lots of others who will and it will be their loss..
Keep this in your head when you go to interviews
xx

jobseeking_help

Angelina

I agree with Prowla. You can only be yourself. So long as you have prepared for the interview thoroughly and you are confident and let your natural personality through as much as possible then that's all you can do.

Sod's Law = If you fake it to try and meet some interviewer's feedback the worry is that if it's a different interviewer at another interview for the company then he won't like you because you are too jovial and unbusinesslike.
Alternatively you fake it and get hired and then fired because you cannot keep up the pretence.
You can only call it as you see it.
So long as you are getting interviews then your turn will come - it's definite.
Just be prepared so you can be confident and BE YOURSELF

Good luck

GothicStirling

I agree with the 'relax' advice. It seems your coming across as a bit straight-laced, where media is all about personality. So yes, try a little banter yourself with the interviewer. To me coming across as 'corporate' means your coming across as a clone, and won't fit into a media team. Try to show a little of your fun side.

getmore4less

So you are getting through to the last bit which is the GUT FEEL will they fit in test.

That's really good and the fact they are considering you for other jobs means they want you but are probably not sure where/if you fit in.

What they are probably looking for is what are you like to work with so not a case of dumbing down(the smart...) but being human along with being very capable.

I have interviewed people where the personality was very evident and we took the risk anyway.
(we had techniques that got through)

The other thing is they may have a question mark over how you would cope when the going gets tough, if the interview was rock solid prepared answers.

Sometimes you can open up the personality side by going off job.

I am sure you try these but do you ask questions if the interviewer opens up.
eg the VP probe their motivations in a friendly inquisitive way to why/how they are where they are now.

If there are hard core interview questions or requirement like a presentation you get those right(if you don't do funny in presentations then don't try for an interview).

It's the face to face where you can go off script.

Above all be yourself, can you practice with someone you know really well?

J_i_m

I think with things like this it is too easy to start second guessing yourself.

I'm in the midst of looking for a new job myself and have attended several interviews without success in the last year.

Obviously there is something I should be (and trying to) learning from this, and yet it's such a moving target that what is applicable to one interviewing panel may not necessarily be to the next.

Over the past year I've been lucky to have some interview feedback. Some it has been genuinely constructive and some of it downright baffling and contradictory.

One employer effectively told me that I was too good for their job by telling me that they didn't feel they could offer me what I was looking for as the job on offer didn't really call for the initiative I showed in the interview.

Two others told me that I did extremely well, but one other candidate "raised the bar, and went beyond it"

For one, I got told that the main issue was an error on a typing test as my interview answers were generally strong but because another candidate didn't make the same error in the test they felt they couldn't offer me the job over them.

The next week I attended another interview within the same team, did exactly the same test. I used the feedback to correct the errors and scored the highest mark on the test and again complimented on many interview answers... I still didn't get the job.

Others have told me that I gave good answers in the interview but didn't go far enough to show how I could transfer skills.

The last feedback I received told me that I lacked the experience they were looking for despite a strong application and CV with all the required attributes.

I've listened to each feedback and tried applying it to each new interview. I've yet to be successful. It's left me feeling somewhat frustrated and dispirited.

I am selling myself short? I am overselling myself? Have I just been unlucky to come up against an exceptional candidate on the day? Have they basically decided on an internal (or temp) promotion before even short listing the interview candidates?

I'd hazard a guess that it's a combination of all of those. All I can really do is prepare for each interview as best I can by learning about the employer and studying the job description and person specification.

At the end of the day, you can only really be yourself and do your best. Everything else is outside of your hands.

Actually during one interview, they informed me that the job was currently being covered by a temp.. and that they'd applied for it as well. Now, why bother telling a candidate that? Because what you've effectively told me is that "Yeah we've promised the job to the temp, so this is basically a waste of time".

marlot

The big question is how you will add value to their business. Then how you will fit into their team, so that you're not just a one-man band.

Angelinaxoxo

cavework wrote: »

Well you could actually dress as a clown and do balloon animals or you could actually take this criticism to the next interview and ask them what they mean by it.. add the bit about the balloons , but don't be sarky.. have a bit of a laugh about it
I am a bit of a loose cannon and in the past I have always had the belief that interviews work both ways. The interviewer is looking for the right person and you should be interviewing 'the interviewer ' to see if you want the job.


Just be yourself .. chill out and tell them what you expect from the job, tell them you want to work with them not for them..
Good luck

:rotfl: Funny advice but thank you

Angelinaxoxo

flea72 wrote: »

You dont have to dumb down, but you need to relax and show you can mix. People who come across as uptight and rigid, tend to cause an atmosphere within the work environment as they can be quite demanding of themselves and others.

Its ok to give flippant and jokey answers in interviews. I was asked in an interview once whether i spoke any foreign languages. I replied if they wanted a ham sandwich and coke, or to book a room with a shower in france, then i was their man. It showed i had basic conversational french and a sense of humour. It also opened up the conversation, so the tone became less formal and my personality could come through.

Will do