Dirty Little Interview Skills No Employer Wants To Talk About Not all interview skills are fair when you go on an interview. We are such superficial little creatures. A business suit and tie doesn‟t take the twisted, irrational human out of us, and many of the decisions we make in a corporate environment are ruled more by our animalistic side than we ever want to admit. There are some dirty little interview skills, that we‟re betting you want to know… Believe it or not, it‟s not just your standard interview skills that leave an impression on your interviewer. Far from it. There are plenty of “under the radar” interview skills that are just waiting to be used on your next interview. For example: Letting your future employer undress you with their eyes is one of the greatest interview skills! Okay, so we‟re half-kidding here, in case you are already changing into something more encouraging of probing pupils. What we really mean is that the human tendency to check each other out is natural, even if we are more often than not under the social pressure to refrain from this normal behavior. You might think your standard interview skills are what count when you walk into that office, but that‟s not the only thing that employers are noticing. And even if getting too liberal with your eyes in a job setting can get you into some trouble, or spark some backroom fun in some situations, completely trying to stop it can create an unnatural feel in any situation. Common interview advice says maintaining consistent eye contact is one of the most important interview skills to remember when being interviewed, but think about the last time someone did this to you. We‟ve all got a creepy friend who likes to make full eye contact throughout the whole conversations, and chances are we don‟t like talking with this guy all that much. In his mind, he‟s just being “real”—you can see his eyes going dreamy when he says this even. This guy also usually did too much acid his freshman year. He thinks he‟s got it all figured out but all his intense eye contact isn‟t getting him anywhere but alone on Saturday nights. So, what makes you think this will get you any further in an interview? Although eye contact is one of those crucial interview skills, you don‟t want it to be creepy and overkill. How about those conversations with a man and woman who are obviously attracted to each other and both know it but are trying to avoid it? He‟s trying hard not to look down at her cleavage because he knows he‟s not supposed to, but every once in a while his eyes flick down involuntarily. She‟s trying really hard not to notice his effort because he‟s supposed to be taking her serious and doesn‟t seem to be. She might be too busy trying to get over the ugly hat he‟s wearing to even notice. How fricking awkward is this for everyone? Wouldn‟t it be easier if they could just step back, take a good gander at each other, and get on with the conversation? You didn‟t brush up on those interview skills just to be oggled. Well, our society probably isn‟t going to take that kind of leap forward (or backward) anytime soon, but nonetheless, it is clear our natural hormonal curiosity plays a big role in the way we meet and greet members of the opposite sex. While we typically don‟t start sniffing each other‟s asses immediately unless we belong to one of those cool clubs from Eyes Wide Shut that we can‟t tell our parents about, we still have our biologically-ingrained ways of checking each other out, regardless of how the sexual harassment disclaimer in the employee handbook reads. Men, especially, will always take in a woman’s physical appearance rather than her interview skills. He‟ll soak it up if he can and possibly take another look later on to make sure he got it right. It doesn‟t necessarily mean anything—it‟s the nature of a man and something he‟s just got to get out of the way before all the other important things he has to do, like chewing on tennis balls and howling at the moon. If she locks that all-important eye contact with him the whole time and never gives his eyes the chance for an innocent wander, he will feel frustrated and not know why. He‟ll try and squeeze quick sneak peeks in between questions and keep reminding himself not to be a perv. On some level, both know what is going on but neither really knows why, and the whole interview becomes a damned mess. Who really cares about honing in on your interview skills when you don‟t even know how to pry his attention away from the physical without going overboard with your tried and true interview skills? Before women start screaming sexist pig and throwing out accusations, it just is not something that can be avoided, and this is a phenomenon that has been caught again and again on hidden camera. We all try to be civil, but in a lot of ways, we just are what we are. And women are not saints either. They get away with their body checks more than men because they have better peripheral vision, but they are especially guilty of being judgmental about appearance when it comes to interviewing the opposite sex. With the invasion of the metrosexual male into modern society, more often a great sense of style is associated with a man who is able and competent. Someone can have the best interview skills ever, but if they don‟t dress the part, it means nada. Yep, these office fashion judges are taking it all in to be sure a style-criminal doesn‟t infiltrate their domain. When did he get his last haircut? My God—he shops at Ross—I just know it. That crease is crooked. That shirt could have used a little more ironing. And what in the Hades is up with the shine on those shoes? He completely missed the backs! Who cares about his awesome interview skills when he‟s such a hot mess? Ew. While to men this might all sound a little far-fetched, it is the truth about what you‟re up against if a member of the opposite sex sits in that interview room, so pay attention to the details. Women will be sizing your appearance up from the moment you walk in until you turn around and leave, whereupon she will be judging your BACK!!! This has been caught on camera and documented in studies—psychologists are proving more and more often just how silly we creatures are—the backs of the shoes! Who would have known that in addition to brushing up on your interview skills you have to pay attention to your rear view? So how can you hone these dirty little interview skills to your advantage—besides shining the backs of your shoes, of course? Simple. In addition to showing off the fabulousness of your standard interview skills, let them drink it up. They want a nice long look at you, and who can blame „em. After all, you‟re hot stuff (keep telling yourself that), and they are only human. Distract yourself with something after your first handshake. Rummage through a briefcase, go through paperwork, or move your seat while looking away. This is a powerful gesture and it gets our biological impulses out of the way without having to throw open an over-sized trenchcoat with nothing underneath and screaming, “Happy Birthday!” In fact, when this technique was tried out in a series of sales interviews for filming projects, it was proved that the salesperson felt better throughout the interview and their new interview skills ended up getting them better sales—all because they let nature run its course. Everybody loves a little eye-candy from time to time—who are we kidding? But that doesn‟t mean that you should rely on your appearance alone, no matter how good you look. Brush up on those interview skills, but don‟t forget to smile and look pretty! Source: http://www.interviewmastermind.com