You’ve had your resume looked over and edited a million times. You’ve read everything you could possibly know about the company you’re applying for. You even know everything about the interviewer including what school they attended to what degree they completed. You’ve got your suit dry cleaned and ironed and you’ve set ten different alarms to ensure you’re at your interview half an hour early.
That’s all great and wonderful, but now there is a new trait, skill, experience, or whatever you may want to call it that employers are searching for. Are you likeable?
Thanks to social media, background research (read: online stalking) has now become a very common sport. Employers can now browse your social media sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and whatever profiles they can get their hands on to see what you’re like beneath the resume. So while you’re preparing for the big interview, please ensure you don’t forget the most important part of your personality; your likeability. Studies have shown that individuals who employers feel that they can crack a joke with and share a beer are more likely to be hired.
Why? Likeability links in tightly with trust and employers want to be able to trust their employees. So you may ask what exactly constitutes to likeability?
Trustworthiness, Authenticity, Availability, Emotional Intelligence and a Positivity.
Trustworthiness Can you be counted on? Can genuine honesty regardless of the situation be expected from you? Can you take on responsibility?
Authenticity Can you communicate clearly and complete what you promise? Many Politicians are not authentic leaders which leads to their downfall. In today’s society, authenticity is rare and highly valued.
Availability Are you able to make yourself available whenever necessary? This includes making yourself available for sudden meetings, promptly responding to calls and emails and delivering work on time.
Emotional Intelligence Can you emphasize? Can you listen? No, not just nodding your head along, but actively listening and providing well thought out responses. Can you adapt your communication to the person you are speaking with? Can others understand what you try to convey?
Positivity As cliché as this sounds positivity attracts positive energy which in turn, produces positive results. Do you have a positive personality? You might possess all the experience and skills needed for a job but most employers prefer to hire people they enjoy working with.
Having business skills and experience only gets you as far as sitting across the table from the interview panel. To really score the job you need to work your magic. Showcase your ability to connect and charm them into thinking you’re awesome. It’s not always about being able to say the right things. Rather, you should earn your respect in the work force. Respect is not presented to you on a platter, respect is rewarded to those who work for it.