Susannah Breslin has an interesting article for Forbes.com titled “7 Weird Job Interview Tips.” I’m not sure they actually qualify as “weird,” but they are at least offbeat and worth consideration by anyone looking for an edge in a job interview.
Our office recently went through the hiring process, and I thought I’d consider each of Breslin’s suggestions in light of that experience.
1. Wear Color — Just not neon red pants that are more of a distraction than an edge, and not what I would consider buisness attire, even in our ultra-casual office.
2. Meditate Strategically — This is actually an excellent suggestion, though as far as I could tell, none of our applicants had done much beyond familiarize themselves with our website.
3. Create a Character — As a supervisor, I don’t think I want to interview one personality and then find I’ve hired someone completely different, so this is not such great advice.
4. Pick a Time — This is pretty good advice, since I always ask the applicant to offer an appointment time. Of course, there was the one who was sop busy with her current job, she was only available early in the morning, after work at night or on weekends. Really? Do you want to be considered seriously?
5. Grow an Inch — This is just silly and would have absolutely no bearing on my analysis of an interview. Several people we interviewed were on the tall side, but either blew the interview completely or just didn’t seem to fit — and not because they were tall.
6. Make ’em Laugh — Sage advice. If I think someone has a great sense of humor expressed intelligently, that scores big points.
7. Look Smarter — I suppose this might help, but it’s an interview, so no matter how smart you look, what you say could betray you as an idiot. See Sarah Palin, by way of example.
There is a lot of advice on how to ace an interview out there. Be selective and let common sense be your guide.