Win at interviewing, with a laugh
Let’s put a smile on that face
Does this inner monologue during a job interview sound familiar?
Ok, maintain eye contact. Show them that you’re confident. Am I making too much eye contact? Am I coming off as creepy? Did my last response make sense. Why are they asking me so many specific questions? What are they thinking about me!
If so, then don’t worry. This is completely normal. It’s difficult to act natural in high-stress scenarios such as a first date or job interview. I’m a victim as well, but I learned one way to make the interview process a lot easier. Make your interviewer laugh, just once.
From the first call from the recruiter to the in-person interview, I always try to get a laugh or even a small chuckle out of my interviewer. The reason why I think this is so important is because it puts everyone at ease. The recruiter is hyper-focused on nailing key words so that they can forward a good resume to the hiring manager. The hiring manager is trying to find out as many details about you as legally possible, to see if you can perform the duties required and if you’ll be a good personality fit within your immediate peers. A laugh breaks the tension from both-ends. It signals that “hey, it’s all good, we’re just having a relaxed conversation.”
How to accomplish this?
So, you don’t have to be a professional comedian, or writer, or even funny to accomplish this. In fact, the joke doesn’t even have to be “funny”. You really just need to present something as a passable joke. It doesn’t have to be placed in any specific part of the conversation either. As long as it’s in there somewhere, you’re golden.
This is how I like to structure the set-up of my joke:
Wait for a softball question. These are usually along the lines of “How was the drive in?” Or “How are you doing today?” 99% of interviewers (over the phone or in person) will start out with these, or end with a soft question.
Answer with an unexpected yet obviously intended reply.
Profit
Too vague? No worries, here are a few real examples I’ve used before;
Interviewer: How was your [insert mode of transportation here] in?
Me: Peachy!Interviewer: How was your weekend?
Me: If I’m honest, always a day too short.Interviewer: What would you say is your greatest weakness?
Me: Nutella, ha ha ha, I’m just messing. I would say it’d have to be [insert your actual answer here].
It’s literally that simple. You can use the ones above if you want. If that doesn’t get the other person to smile or respond positively, then you may want to observe your interviewer closer, do they have the personality type that you would want to work with? Making an interviewer laugh or smile is also a great indicator of what it will be like working for them. Will they be a hard-ass with an all work and no play attitude? Or is this someone you can really get along with?
Does this really work?
This isn’t going to guarantee a job offer by any means, but it helps make you more personable, and help gauge the interviewer’s work style. There are hundreds of applicants that have the technical skills required to get the job done, what can be a real differentiating factor when choosing between candidates is how easy it will be to get along with said person. A quick quip for an easy laugh or smile is all you need to form a positive first impression.
