5 Tips to Be Taken Seriously in Job Interviews

5 Tips to Be Taken Seriously in Job Interviews 5 Tips to Be Taken Seriously in Job Interviews Making a good impression and being taken seriously is the goal of any job seeker during an interview. But sometimes, that’s a lot easier said than done. Many hiring managers will make assumptions about you based not only on what you do, but also how you present  yourself. And as unfair as that might be, no one wants to be the odd duck  in the job candidate pond. We’ve tailored the tips in the Entrepreneur article, “8 Ways to Get People to Take You More Seriously,” to help you, gentle job seeker, find ways to finesse your pitch during a job interview and be more confident. So if you want to be taken seriously in job interviews, you should seriously consider these five tips! 5 Tips to Be Taken Seriously in Job Interviews 1. Stand straight. Remember your parents always telling you to stand up straight when you were a kid? Well, there was a reason for that. People with positive posture (i.e., no slouching, hunching, or stooping) are seen as powerful. And giving the impression that you are powerful scores you bonus points; not only will others perceive you as powerful (which is an attractive quality in job candidates), but you’ll start to feel powerful, too. 2. Tell a tale. In an effort to impress a potential boss, you might be tempted to whip out a ton of facts and figures to prove your point. Although having a solid knowledge base is important when it comes to job interviews, so is being personable. Studies show that people relate to personal stories more than straight-up data, so be sure to share a story while you are meeting with an employer. It will make you far more memorable and also give the person an idea of who you really are, and more importantly, what you can bring to the table as an employee. 3. Be prepared. We cannot say it enough. When you go into a job interview, you must be prepared. Arriving late, disheveled, or without a hard copy of your résumé and cover letter (yes, you might still need those!) are all signs of unpreparedness. And as unfair as it might be, a potential boss will view that as a sign of your work abilities, and judge you based on that. So be prepared to answer some tough questions during your job interview, and take every measure to be as prepared as possible. 4. Show interest in your interviewer- and the company. In the past, job interviews were black and white. An employer’s role was to ask questions, and it was your “job” to answer them. Those rules don’t really apply anymore. In today’s job market, job interviews are often  like conversations, and that’s why it’s imperative that you make sure to talk beyond just answering a question. Show interest in your interviewer (you can mention that you’re both from the same city or went to the same college) and, more importantly, show interest in the company you’re applying to work for. Ask questions about the company’s growth and how you’d like to be a part of that by bringing your skills and experience to the job. 5. Speak confidently. It’s a habit that some people have and might not even realize it. Called “upspeak,” it’s the way people will end their sentences sounding like a question and less like a statement. Thing is, if you’re making a strong statement (i.e., “With my 10-plus years as a marketing director, I know that I can solve your company’s problems?”) and end it sounding like a question, it can come off sounding like you’re insecure in your own abilities- even if you’re not. This can take some time to correct, so get in front of a mirror and practice eliminating upspeak from your speech patterns. You’ll thank us for it? No matter what industry you’re in, every job seeker wants to be taken seriously during a job interview. But you have to put in the effort first. Try some of these tips and you’ll be viewed as a serious job candidate- seriously. Readers, what do you do to make sure you’re taken seriously as a job candidate? Let us know in the comments below!