How To Be Personable And Friendly During Interviews?

Imagine yourself in this situation: you just got hired as a director for a new company, and you need to hire someone to help you manage a couple of important projects. Who would you rather hire? 

Would you hire someone who is indifferent or unfriendly and doesn't look forward to getting along with others? Or, would you rather hire someone who is personable, friendly, and actively looks to get along with others? Which out of the two would you hire if their work performance remained the same?

I would rather hire someone who is friendly and gets along with others. Most of us naturally gravitate toward those who are positive, warm, and friendly. Interviewers are looking to do the same. They are looking for positive, personable, and friendly colleagues to work with, solve problems and achieve goals together for their company.

Ask yourself this: would you hire yourself based on your current friendliness and ability to get along with others?

When I was interviewing for jobs, I intentionally made the decision to make friends with the interviewers by the end of the interview. Setting this intention has helped me tremendously to become more friendly, personable, and develop meaningful relationships with interviewers.

Earlier in my career, I realized that I may or may not get the job after the interview, but there is a lot I can do to make a friend in the process. Especially if I am positive, friendly, and show genuine interest in the interviewers, I realized that making friends with them is not that difficult. 

I realized that making friends with the interviewers could also open up other opportunities even if I didn't necessarily get selected for the current position. I have interviewers who became my friends who offered me roles much longer after I had met them in initial interviews.

Take steps to be positive and friendly with others. Instead of pretending to be positive and friendly just for the interviews, learn to actually be positive and friendly with others. Show genuine interest toward that which excites them and ask about issues they are currently dealing with. Offer value and help if you are capable of providing it.

Not only your career success, but your happiness also depends on your ability to get along with others. I would say as much as 85% of your career and life success depends on your ability to meet new people and get along and work with them in a friendly and collaborative way. We are much happier when we can get along with others and have productive conversations and harmonious relationships.

For me, the way interviewers interact with me also is indicative of how their company culture is set up. Early in my career, I recognized that I do my best work in a friendly, blameless, and harmonious environment. Therefore, I choose to work with professionals and in workplaces that are conducive to these values.

If I can be friendly with interviewers, and they are friendly back with me, that is a good indicator of a friendly work environment. If they deny my interest in getting to know them and be friendly, this may be indicative of their company culture and how they interact with their colleagues. Obviously, this is only an indicator but not conclusive proof that their culture may be on the unfriendly side. 

One of the books that opened my eyes about how to get along with others and win friends was the book, “How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. It is a highly recommended book if you want to know how to make friends the right way.

Here are some of my favorite tips from the book:

My favourite tips from the “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie

Here are some of my favourite points from the book.

• Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.

• Give honest and sincere appreciation.

• Become genuinely interested in other people.

• Smile.

• Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

• Be a good listener.

• Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.

• The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

• Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.”

• If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

• Begin in a friendly way.

• Try honesty to see things from the other person’s point of view.

• Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.

• Begin with praise and honest appreciation.

• Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.

• Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.

• Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. 

• Give the other person a great reputation to live up to.

• Encourage others and help solve their errors.

If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend investing the time to read it.

Much love!