How To Let Your Personality Shine In Job Interviews

When we enter into an interview situation, many of us will feel the need to adopt our professional persona to give the best possible impression to a recruiter.

Although it is important to remain professional in a business situation, it is also essential to showcase your personality to ensure that your application stands out.  By letting your personality shine it will also enable the recruiter to determine if you would be a suitable fit for the company.

If you want to strike the right balance of maintaining your professional character but also demonstrating your personality, take a peek at our handy guide below…

Be Aware Of Body Language
First impressions count during an interview so it’s important to greet each person you meet with a friendly handshake and a warm smile.  To continue your positive body language throughout your interview, you should also make eye contact with each person you meet and keep your body language open to demonstrate you are approachable.

Focus On What You Love
Interview questions no longer focus on just the professional aspect of the role; as a recruiter will be keen to see if your personality fits with the current company culture.  As well as preparing your answers to common interview questions, you should be equipped to talk about more than just your professional achievements. By elaborating on your interests outside of work, you will demonstrate to the employer that you are a well-rounded candidate who will gel well with others within the organisation.

Be Honest
An interviewer appreciates it when you are honest about your future career aspirations and what areas you wish to develop. This will help them to determine if you will be suitably placed within the role. Also by sharing your aspirations, your employer will more likely be able to help you achieve your career goals if you do land the job.

Use Real Life Experiences
Interview questions such as ‘How do you deal with a difficult customer?’ and ‘What is your main strength?’ are sometimes hard to answer, especially if you don’t back it up with some evidence. When responding to such questions, think about a time when you have successful dealt with a difficult situation and relay this information back to the interviewer. By giving a real life example, it will help the hiring manager to gain a real sense of who you are and how you would react to certain situations.

Explore Shared Interests
Finding common ground with the interviewer can help you to express your personality and make a real connection. You can do your research beforehand by looking at the recruiter’s LinkedIn account or take inspiration from the interview room. You can also connect with the interviewer on a more personal level by asking questions about why they chose to work at a company and what they like most about the job?

De-Stress
By attending the interview in a calm and collected manner, you will be able to focus on letting your personality shine rather than your nerves.  If you are feeling anxious beforehand, remember an interview is simply a conversation between you and the employer to see if you would be suitable for the role and the company.