How Creating a Personal Connection Can Help with Job Interviews

When applying for a job, you may face a large amount of competition. This can be especially true, if applying for managerial, director, or technical level positions. Gaining an edge, requires preparing a professional resume, nailing the interview, and leaving a lasting positive impression. One way to ensure that you stand out from other job candidates, is to create a personal connection with the interviewer(s). Contrary to popular belief, making a sincere personal connection does not require knowing the person.

Be aware of your surroundings. Many managers and/or directors spend a large amount of time at work. Bringing a small piece of home, to their office, helps make these long hours more enjoyable. These may entail bringing pictures of family, spouse, or children to work. Some people bring items that illustrate their favorite hobbies. For instance, someone who loves sailing may have a picture of sailboats on their wall. Being observant can provide common hobbies or interests, between you and the interviewer(s).

Be aware of the interviewer(s) non-verbal communication. Not all interviewers are comfortable sharing personal details or veering off of topic. If you try to push a personal conversation and the interviewer(s) are uncomfortable then you could leave a negative impression. If a personal conversation does begin, let the interviewer guide it. In addition, limit the conversation to items that you and the interviewer(s) have in common. Do not use this as an opening to talk about your life's story. Be aware of indicators, both verbal and non-verbal, that indicate the personal conversation should end.

The interviewer(s) do not want to just hire a qualified individual. Replacing an employee can cost the company a large amount of money. The company has to devote management's time to finding candidates, sorting through resumes, and interviewing candidates. Once they hire someone, they have to spend time and money training them. The interviewer(s) want to hire someone who will stay with the company for a while.

Creating a personal connection can gain you an added advantage. Creating a personal connection can make you stand out from the crowd but it also can provide the interviewer(s) a glimpse into your personality. This can help the interviewer(s) get an idea of how well you will fit into the corporate culture. If the search comes down to you or another candidate with similar experience and education then a personal connection may tip the scales.

There are many tools that can help you stand out, from other job candidates. Creating a personal connection is just one tool. While this tool can be effective, do not worry if you are not comfortable providing personal information. Creating a personal connection can help choose between two candidates, when everything else is equal. If you possess a higher level of education and more relevant experience then you can still stand out from the crowd.