An example: A job interview

Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it, Katherine Whitehorn.

The job interview is nothing but a form of interpersonal communication. According to everything that has been said, how to be persuasive and effective?

1. Impeccable presentation. Brush your teeth, floss, and have a shower before the interview. Make sure your hair looks neat and well groomed, your nails are clean and short, and your hands, spotless. For a man, facial hair should be well shaved or trimmed, he should wear a grey or blue suit, a well-ironed tie and a crisp white shirt. For a woman, she should never wear anything that draws attention. Female candidates should avoid too tight, short, transparent, and revealing dresses. Do not wear any earrings that are not in your earlobes and do not show your tattoos or piercings.

2. Do not smoke or drink alcohol before an interview. Do not chew gum or candy during the interview.

3. Arrive a few minutes early and go alone. Do not bring friends or family members with you, so you can demonstrate autonomy, self-confidence, and independence.

4. You should arrive on time, but not too early.

5. Turn off the phone, make sure you will not be disturbed.

6. Show openness and self-confidence by greeting with a firm and strong handshake, sitting with a good posture, and showing a friendly smile. Make sure you are in a pleasant and accommodating mood during the whole interview.

7. It is very important to maintain eye contact, but be careful not to stare too long either.

8. Sit down when the interviewer asks you to do so. Sit down properly with your back straight, but try to do so in a natural way and lean slightly forward to show the interviewer how interested and motivated you are. Avoid fidgeting, slouching, sitting on the edge of your chair (you will look nervous, lacking in self-confidence and uncomfortable), and do not cross your legs or arms (a very defensive posture).

9. Do not get nervous. Do not play with the interviewer’s business card, your hair, ring, smartphone or pen. Do not bite your nails or lips during the interview. Avoid fidgeting, twitching your legs, moving your hands too much. On the contrary, breath deeply, stay calm and focused during the interview so you can project a self-confident and trustworthy image of yourself.

10. Before the interview, you should take a copy of your resume and review it. Try to be calm and relaxed. Do not overload the day, get plenty of rest instead. Research the company in advance, visit its website, find out about their products, services, and competitors.

What about your language?

• Use simple and direct language.
• Think about the questions that you are asked without delaying your answers too much and make sure you understand them.
• Maintain a constructive attitude. Do not criticize your former employers, co-workers, or company, but try to offer a positive view of your academic and professional history.
• Be honest. Talk naturally, answer the question that you have been asked as clearly and thoughtfully as possible and do not be afraid to say “I do not know.” Do not exaggerate your skills or experience (that is especially true in language skills since many employers test your foreign language knowledge at the interview), and stick to the facts.
• Answer all the questions. Monosyllables or very short responses are to be avoided. Answer briefly without rambling or getting off topic. If you refuse to answer some questions, it might be interpreted as unresolved or dark areas that are not addressed where little or no progress is made.
• Given negative experiences and outcomes that you have had, focus on: 1) What have you learned from them? 2) How did you overcome these issues? 3) Why do you think that you will not make the same mistakes again?

Accept criticism and show yourself as someone who is willing to learn from his/her flaws and mistakes, as someone who does not view negative experiences and outcomes as problems, but as opportunities and challenges to grow and learn.

1. Show personal integrity. Do not beg for the job, but let your character, passion, work ethic, and enthusiasm win the day.
2. Avoid talking about money, vacation time, politics, religion or sex during the first interview. Keep calm during the negotiation process and always leave the door open for negotiation. Reassure them you are really interested in the job: “I am very interested in your company and this post. I am sure we can reach an agreement.”
3. Do not talk too much. You should not disclose bad habits, fears, your pregnancy, criminal record, medical condition (HIV, diabetes), etc. in the first interview. As the old saying goes, the more you talk, the more mistakes you make, the more that you reveal about yourself. Listen carefully to the interviewer, answer him clearly and concisely, and mimic his body language, gestures, vocabulary, etc. but don’t take it too far.
4. Use appropriate language during your interview and focus on the specific knowledge and experience you can bring to the position. Be polite and show good manners. Avoid swearing, slang, fillers (uh, er, um, like, y’know, I mean, etc.), making jokes or using sarcasm (they can be easily misunderstood or even considered rude and offensive), as well as, racist, sexist, or negative remarks. Use gestures and body language, but don’t exaggerate them, just make sure that they feel natural, sincere, and meaningful.
5. Do not let your guard down for a moment!
6. Finally, express your sincere gratitude for the interview opportunity. Towards the end of the job interview, the interviewer is likely to ask you, “Do you have any questions for us?” If you just respond with a simple “no,” it makes you seem slightly uninterested in the post and being complacent. You could answer something like: “Will I be hearing from you or should I contact you?” “Do you see any major weaknesses in my profile, gaps in my qualifications that I need to address, any issues that might make you think otherwise?”
7. Practice makes perfect. Type in Google “interview questions” and reflect on possible answers.

One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation, Arthur Ashe.

• If you don’t get the job, don’t worry at all, but evaluate your performance after the interview, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and focus on what you need to improve for future interviews.

• How do you handle rude questions? 1. Do not panic, do not get upset, be rude or yell. 2. Relax, keep your cool! Always be respectful, show good manners, appropriate language and smile. 3. Rude questions don’t have to be answered: “I don’t think that question is relevant to the job/appropriate, do you?”

• How do you handle unexpected questions? 1. Repeat the question. It will give you a few extra seconds to think about your answer. 2. Answer it with imagination and creativity. 3. Do not worry too much, no one expects you to have all the answers.