Interviews: It’s not just what you say. It’s also the way you say it…
…And rest assured that in an interview situation, employers are listening intently to both.
So I was recently helping a friend with interviews for staff for her business all day. A long and tiring day, that’s for sure!! But what struck me more than anything as a Thrive Coach, was how someone’s language could so easily let them down and betray what a candidate wanted us to think about them, their skill set, and crucially their confidence.
I’m not saying people should lie at job interviews, at all. But there’s a huge difference between two candidates who have both have similar CVs, but one believes they can do ‘anything they put their mind to’ and the other says they ‘could probably give something a go.’ Think about it - are you more likely to trust someone with a task/role when they say ‘I don’t know whether I could do that as I’ve never done that exact task before’, or when they talk about their transferable skills that could be useful whilst also assuring you that they take initiative to ask for help/Google when they aren’t sure and learn new skills?
The language you use is a huge barometer to potential employers of what kind of employee you would be, and an interview is their chance to gauge this. It’s like a magnifying glass illuminating your true thoughts and beliefs, and it is very reliable data! Yes, having relevant skills and experience is important. But so are other skills, like your attitude to problem solving in the workplace.
Someone who shows confidence in their own abilities, who isn’t afraid to take chances and learn new things and has a growth mindset, is someone immensely valuable to a company. Somebody with a more fixed mindset, who is comfortable in their comfort zone but has no desire or confidence to go beyond this to problem-solve new unexpected hurdles, has far more limits to an employer. In short, your CV might be fantastic but 5 minutes of an interview conversation will tell a potential employer all they need to know about YOU and whether you are worth taking a chance on (and would be of long term value to their organisation). If your language IS undermining you, then it’s a big clue as to how you really feel about yourself at the moment, so maybe it’s time to start learning how to change that and invest in your own future!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this - have you ever underrated yourself in an interview and potentially lost a job because of it? Have you ever thought back on your interview performance and wished you’d had the confidence and self-belief to really sell yourself to them, but instead ended up selling yourself short? Get in touch and let me know!