How to Use Psychology to Help You Get Hired

How to Use Psychology to Help You Get HiredHow to Use Psychology to Help You Get HiredCan you get interviewing down to a science? While interviewing is more of an art than a science, you can employ tips from social, organizational and personality psychology to improve your chances of interview success. Review these tips for how to use psychology to increase your chances of getting hired. Giving one or more of them a try could up your chances of making it to the next round of interviews- or even get you a job offer. 9 Science-Backed Job Interview Tips 1. Use power-priming tactics. In a job interview experiment where one group of applicants were asked to focus on a time in which they felt in control and empowered in their lives, and another group welches instructed to reflect on a time when they felt disempowered, it was the first group - the power-primed group - that succeeded. Interviewers chose the power-primed group over the other group at a significantly higher rate. Before your next interview, think about a time in your life when you felt successful and empowered - work-related, or personal - to increase your chances of getting hired. 2. Smile, but not too much. You should always be friendly and polite, but be serious when you need to be. In one study, candidates who smiled more at the beginning and end of the interview, and less in the middle - when they were focused on answering questions - did better than those who smiled continuously throughout. You want to use your personality to shine at a job interview. 3. Use your interviewers name. Not only can using your interviewers first name help you remember it, but its also a proven way to make them feel more positive about you. Of course, dont overuse it, but do drop it in a few times. 4. Practice reflective listening. Reflective listening is when you repeat back your interviewers statement or question in your own words. Studies have shown that reflective listening can increase your chances of gett ing hired, as it demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of what the interviewer is trying to communicate, and may also make your interviewer feel more positive about you. Heres an example of how you can use reflective listening in a job interview Interviewer This position requires a writer who wont have a problem covering a political story one day, a celebrity gossip piece the next, and can do both of them well, and willingly. How does this sound?You So, youre looking for a versatile writer whos enthusiastic and up for anything. Thats exactly how I would describe myself. As you can see from my clips, Ive done everything from travel writing to investigative journalism, so I believe Id be a great fit for this job. 5. Keep your hands warm and dry. Cold and clammy hands are a sign of anxiety. Therefore, warm and dry hands suggest the opposite. Before you interview, if youre coming in from hot temperatures, be aya to wipe off any sweat, and if youre coming in from the cold, make sure your handshake isnt icy 6. Try mirroring, but stay positive. Mirroring is when you mimic a persons body language they smile, you smile. They use hand gestures, you use hand gestures. Research has shown that mirroring can increase your chance of success in an interview, and in many interactions, people mirror each other without even trying. This is something to be careful about. In a study where interviewers were distant and aloof, interviewees who mirrored their body language were less likely to be hired than those who stayed positive no matter what. 7. Be mindful of your body language. Its been said time and time again, but study after study has shown just how important nonverbal communication can be. When youre in a job interview, use positive nonverbal behavior. According to research findings, you should Show a high level of energy and enthusiasmKeep a positive expression on your faceMaintain a high level of eye contactNod to show understandingUse subtle hand gestures when spea kingLean towards your interviewer, but maintain appropriate personal spaceVary your tone of voice so as not to speak in a monotone 8. Consider the Construal Level Theory. According to the Construal Level Theory, the farther away you are from an object or person, the more abstract your thinking will be. The closer you are, the more concrete your thinking will be. An often used example is a summer vacation six months out, in the winter, youre daydreaming about sunshine and sand. Six days out, youre planning specifics, like making restaurant reservations or nailing down your itinerary. Researchers tested the theory in an experiment where they had applicants sit either close or far from interviewers, and then either promote themselves in concrete or abstract ways. The results were in line with CLT applicants who sat close and discussed specific attributes or instances were most successful, as were applicants who sat far away and emphasized more abstract qualities, like their soft skills . What does this mean for your interview? Well, providing specifics is always a good thing to do in an interview. If you find yourself seated far from your interviewer, take care to mention some soft skills, too - for example, your strong work ethic or superior time management skills. 9. Dont interrupt. Interrupting someone elicits negative feelings. Never interrupt your interviewer, even when you think that finishing their sentence will show that youre on the saatkorn page.