Get Hired Faster: Attitude & Manners at a Job Interview

Research shows that almost half of all new hires fail within their first 18 months on the job. This
is discouraging news if you have spent your entire life preparing to enter the workforce.
However, only 11 percent of new hire failure is a result of inadequate skills--attitude is
responsible for 89 percent. Since success is so closely linked to attitude, job interview questions
emphasize character traits. Showcase your ability to manifest these traits in interviews, and
improve your chances of landing the job!
Teachability
It doesn't matter if you graduate from an Ivy League University with a perfect 4.0--you will still
have a lot to learn when you start your career. If you have a know-it-all attitude at your job
interview, you will raise a red flag in your potential employer's mind. You must be able to accept
constructive criticism and learn how to do your job the way your employer wants it done if you
want to achieve success.
Motivation
If you are apathetic about your job and don't care enough to give it your best effort, you will not
climb very high up the corporate ladder. 17 percent of new hires fail because their lack of
motivation causes them to perform below their potential. Therefore, any sign of a lazy attitude at
a job interview will turn off employers.
Temperament
Different jobs require different character traits. For example, a flight attendant should be a team
player with great social skills whereas a writer should be a task-oriented self-motivator. For some
job interviews, an attitude of perfectionism will be considered a good asset. However, that same
attitude could count against you at another job interview. Ideally, you have taken your personal
characteristics into account when you chose your career path so that your qualities are a good
match for your job.
Skills

Lack of skills only account for 11 percent of recent hire failure. Even if you are not the most
qualified candidate in the world, you can learn the skills you need to be a high performer if you
have the motivation and the willingness to learn. Since the best indicator of your future success
is not skills but attitude, job interviewing questions are designed to reveal your character traits.
Attitudes in Job Interviews

While testing for technical skills is relatively easy, assessing attitudes in job interviews is much
more challenging. Recent grads have extensive knowledge on the art of being interviewed and
have coached themselves to give the answers that they think their potential employer wants to
hear. Therefore, every interviewee gives the same pat answers to every question.
If you want to have a stand-out attitude at your job interviews, be honest. Even if your attitudes
have not been stellar in the past, admitting your past failures will show your potential employers
that you are willing to change. For example, if your interviewer asks you to describe your
greatest weakness and you honestly don't think you have any, don't make up something that you
think

sounds

good.

Instead,

says

something

like

this:

"I honestly have a hard time seeing the negative side of my personality. I consider myself a
strong leader and believe that people who call me bossy are simply jealous of my abilities.
However, I realize that being able to accept constructive criticism is important, and I am trying to
do

this

better."

If you want to get hired quickly in a field where you are likely to succeed, you have to know
your strengths and weaknesses. Youll also need a compelling, professional resume. LiveCareers
Resume Builder can help you craft a resume that highlights your best traits while minimizing
your weaknesses--and addressing hiring mangers needs so you can land more interviews and
reach your job goals.
4 Ways to Improve Your Attitude About Job Interviews

By

Jacqui

Barrett-Poindexter,

Glassdoor.com

Have you been on more job interviews than you care to think about lately? Do you feel that you
are interviewing worse with each meeting? Well, that perception may not just be in your head.
Interviewing gets old after a while, and just like the salesperson who hasnt gotten a yes since
he

cant

remember

when,

it

can

be

downright

deflating.

But remember, the interviewer doesnt know how many interviews youve been on, and quite
frankly, isnt too concerned about the number. All they care about is the interview you are
participating

in

right

now.

In

their

office.

With

them.

Too often, though, they are forced to sit across the desk from someone tired and worn out from
knocking on doors. If that someone is you, Im afraid youre wasting your time if the
interviewer

suspects

this

to

be

the

case.

You may be saying to yourself, But my attitude was great for the first umpteen interviews and
that

didnt

seem

to

make

any

difference

at

all.

Okay, maybe youre right. But remember, your chance for success will not go up as your attitude
goes

down.

It may seem difficult and even impossible at times, but you are only hurting yourself when that
chip on your shoulder is taking up more room in a hiring managers office than her desk is. If
youre

reading

this,

you

probably

relate.

Here are a few ways to be sure your attitude doesnt get in the way of your success.
1. Sharpen your acting skills. I dont mean be fake (they will see right through that). No,
instead, look upon each interview as an actor might that is preparing for their next scene. Steady
yourself and think about who you want the audience to believe you are. A winning performance
may not get you invited to the Oscars, but you will definitely stand a better chance of getting you

invited

to

the

office

party.

2. Beware of developing commission breath. While this condition is typically used to

describe a salesperson that has been cursed with a dry spell, it is equally descriptive of the
attitude any of us can develop when the nos are stacking up, and the yess have all but
disappeared. The job seeker afflicted with this condition will appear desperate and willing to do
almost anything to close the deal. The problem is, desperation is never attractive, whether
youre selling widgets, looking for a date or trying to land your dream job.
3. Be confident, not cocky. Its amazing how often people seem to confuse these two attitudes.
To paraphrase Websters, cockiness implies self-confidence to an irritating degree, whereas
confidence implies a bold self-reliance that creates a state of trust. If you were doing the hiring,
which

trait

would

you

choose?

4. Lastly, dont forget to smile. Even if you dont feel like it at first, like going to the gym, you
always feel better about it after a few moments, and it shows.
The recruiter for the position called me afterward and said there was concern regarding my
confidence level. The executive Id be working for said he felt I didnt appear to be certain of my
capabilities. Thankfully, I was given another shot and this time around, I amped it up and threw
humility out the window. I got the job.
On the other end of the spectrum is one of my current clients, Tom. Though only 27-years-old,
Tom has some impressive experience and a world-class education. He also has an ego a mile
long and a few unrealistic expectations regarding his career opportunities. At the end of one
recent interview, he told his interviewer he was in high demand and needed an offer on the table
within 24 hours to even consider the position. The interviewer told him on the spot not to hold
his breath. Tom is still job searching.
During the interview process, you need to appear confident but not cocky. But the line between
them can be hard to see. You want to demonstrate that you know you can do the job
exceptionally well and that youre a highly marketable asset.

But if you push too far, your credibility is at risk. Cocky professionals are unlikable and, more
often than not, people regard them with suspicion. Theres no way you can be as great as you
think you are.
These 8 tips will help you strike the right balance during job interviews.
1. Clearly define your past successes using facts, not feelings.
2. When discussing past successes, give credit where credit is due; acknowledge that others
played a role as well.
3. Dont exaggerate your successes.
4. Dont be afraid to acknowledge failures, but focus on the lessons learned.
5. Dont be afraid to acknowledge areas for growth and improvement, but focus on what
youve already done to address these things and how far youve already come.
6. Show your enthusiasm for this role and this company, but be sure they know youre not
limiting your options.
7. Dont make your interviewer sell you on the role or the company, but do ask probing
questions to learn more.
8. Make reasonable requests regarding compensation, but leave room to negotiate.

How you stand and sit - what do you with your arms and legs, how you hold your head, your
body orientation toward or away from the listener - communicate messages that are interpreted
by other individuals as having positive or negative meanings. The listener (interviewer) may not
even be consciously aware of what he is reacting to. But he knows that he feels comfortable or
uncomfortable, likes or dislikes, trusts or does not trust, the other individual. If the interviewer
responds negatively to the applicant's nonverbal communication, it will be difficult for the
candidate to overcome those negatives no matter what the verbal interaction. What then are the
behaviors the savvy applicant should display? Behaviors that convey positive messages of both
liking the other person and interest in the discussion are:

body orientation toward the other person

a slight forward body lean toward the other person

openness of arms and body

postural relaxation (but not too relaxed - not tense, but not slouched)

direct eye gaze

positive facial expression

Disinterest and/or dislike for the other person is conveyed when the interviewee leans back too
comfortably in his chair, is slumped in the chair, constantly looks around the room, avoids eye
contact with the interviewer, drums his fingers, wrings his hands, plays with his rings - perhaps
turning them on his finger, fidgets, is stone faced or expressionless. The applicant who slumps or
leans completely back in his chair simply can't convey the same level of interest and enthusiasm
from that physical position, no matter how wonderful the rest of his other nonverbal messages
may be, as the person who sits straight up in the chair and with a slight forward lean. A slouching
figure may be interpreted by the interviewer as a sign of disrespect as well as lack of interest.
Direct body orientation means that the applicant's body is facing the interviewer, rather than
sideways to the interviewer. If you are seated directly across a desk from the interviewer this
position will probably be automatic and natural. However if you are seated at the side of the desk
with the interviewer directly behind it or in the corner to corner, 90 degree angle arrangement
around a coffee table, you should position your upper torso to be facing the interviewer more
directly. You can do this by sitting a bit sideways in the chair and further bending your upper
torso, a bit if necessary, to face the interviewer. Openness of arms and body means that your
arms are at your side rather than folded across your body. By folding your arms across your body
it is thought that you convey, perhaps on a subliminal level, that you are closed to the other
person and to his ideas. The arms open position conveys that you are open and responsive to the
other individual and to his message. Granted, there are other reasons you might fold your arms simply being cold is one of them. But since closed body language might send a negative
message, it is better to avoid the closed posture. If you are too tense, you make the other person
feel uncomfortable. There may also be a sense of wondering what it is you are trying to hide. So
try to appear relaxed and comfortable - it will help the interviewer feel more comfortable - while

at the same time not engaging in so much postural relaxation that you are slouching! By far the
most important positive attitude you can convey is your enthusiasm - often referred to as
dynamism. By your dynamic attitude you convey your interest in the other person, in the
company, and in the job as well as toward life in general. You convey your dynamism through
your tone of voice and facial expression as well as through your use of gestures and body
language. Of course gestures can be overdone, but that is far less frequently a problem than the
individual who uses few, if any, gestures. Gesture occasionally, naturally, and appropriately to
reinforce your message. Do avoid wild gestures that are all over the place and don't reinforce
your message. It is also a good idea to keep your hands away from your face. Both men and
women can exhibit preening behaviors as they push hair back out of their face or perhaps
unconsciously try to fix or rearrange their hair. Women may unconsciously play with an earring.
Or an interviewee may nervously scratch his face or head or push back the cuticles on his
fingers. These are distracting behaviors that will focus the interviewer's attention on the
unwanted behavior rather than the applicant's positive verbal messages. Try to avoid having a
pen or notepad in your hands except when you are using it. Anything in your hands such as a pen
or notepad becomes a likely thing for you to nervously play with. Either of these items in your
hands will also impede your use of gestures. If you are holding pen and notepad in your hands,
you are far less likely to gesture than if you are not holding onto them.