Show Your Personality in an Interview

Showing your personality can help you to connect with your interviewer and allows them to see the real you. It also gives them the opportunity to judge if you will fit into their culture, which is beneficial for both of you. However, your nerves can sometimes make it difficult to show your real personality in an interview. Following the steps below can help you to get past your nerves and show your personality in an interview.

Steps

Before the Interview

  1. Understand the importance of a first impression. Within the first 5 minutes of your interview, the interviewer will form an impression of you. This first impression tends to stick and can be extremely difficult to change, especially in the very short time you have with the interviewer.
    • For example, if you come to an interview for a sales representative position but act all shy and timid, the interviewer will have the first impression that you are not as outgoing as you say you are.
    • At that point, no matter how much you give examples or try to explain your ability to do the job, the interviewer will still see you as shy and timid. Therefore, you want to try your best to be yourself and show off your good qualities that will help you fit in with the company and present yourself as the best person for the job.
  2. Practice interviewing and be prepared to answer questions about yourself. If you practice interviewing and prepare answers to questions the interviewer might ask, you will feel more relaxed during the real thing. This is due to the fact that you will be able to easily answer questions without too much thought.
  3. Arrive early so you have time to unwind and gather your thoughts. Just being able to sit down for a few moments prior to your interview will allow your mind to relax and put yourself into “interview mode”.
  4. Try to relax. Being able to relax during an interview is the most important step towards being yourself. Being relaxed during an interview means not letting your nerves get the best of you, which can prevent you from portraying yourself in the best way possible.
    • Skilled interviewers will try to relax candidates by starting off with a little “chit chat” before getting into the main part of the interview. This is great for both of you because it allows you to gain rapport and speak more freely in the main part of the interview.
    • However, building rapport prior to the start of the interview and feeling comfortable with the interviewer is not guaranteed.
  5. Be confident and take your time answering questions. Be confident and think positively. If you start thinking negatively, you will become more nervous. You have gotten this far, so now it is your chance to show them you are the right person for the job.
    • Remember to breathe and take your time with answering questions. Long deep breaths will help you maintain a calmer sate and help you think clearly when answering questions.

During the Interview

  1. Remember to smile. Personality can be revealed through your smile. For example, if you come into the interview with a great, big smile you may be seen as a very happy, fun-loving person, which may be your true personality.
    • If, however, you are a very serious stern individual, showing your naturally reserved smile (and not a fake, cheesy grin) will portray your seriousness .
    • Whichever the case may be, starting your interview off with a genuine (not forced) smile will help you build rapport, feel more relaxed, display your personality and possibly show off your confidence.
  2. Be yourself but remain professional. You may be silly, eccentric or have a strange sense of humor. Sometimes, it's okay to reveal this in an interview. However, you must remember to remain professional and sometimes that means toning it down.
    • Don’t forget why you are really in the interview! Remember the point is not to “be on stage” but to showcase your strengths and personality that will prove you are the right person for the job.
    • The best advise here is to think before you say or do something that may be a little over the top for an interview. You do not want the interviewer to end the interview thinking “wow what just happened in there?” You want them to think “this person can do the job and will fit in just fine”.
  3. Answer interview questions by giving relevant examples that show your personality and showcase your unique characteristics. The best way to answer interview questions is by also providing examples to back up your claims to be able to do the job. To show your personality, you can choose examples that will explain how your personality contributes to your actions and helps you succeed.
    • For example, tell your interviewer about the time when you ran a contest for your team to reduce the amount of errors in their reports by rewarding the person with the least amount of errors after 2 weeks with a free lunch. This can show the interviewer that you have a unique personality with the ability to motivate your team in a fun way.
  4. Avoid acting. Showing your true personality is not acting, it comes out naturally and should remain as such. If you are trying too hard, you will be seen as a phony and it will be obvious that you are acting like someone you are not. This will also become exhausting for you!
    • For example, going into an interview extremely energetic, loud and upbeat may come off as annoying, because it will not be seen as genuine. You will then be so tired by mid-interview that you may not be able to focus.
    • Remember you do not want to act like the person you think the company wants to hire, but who you really are.

References

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