General Personality Traits and How to Improve Them

By Our Special Correspondent

Personality is one of the important attributes to acquire success in your career. The employment manager of a large New York department store mentioned that he would rather hire a sales girl who hadn’t finished grade school, if she had a lovely smile, than hire a doctor of philosophy with a sober face. -- Dale camegieIn:

How to Win Friends and influence People

The real purpose of this book, namely how to help you improve your personality trauts and how to succeed in interviews for recruitment, starts from this chapter. Here you will find invaluable hints to win the favour of your interviewer or the interview board / committee.

APPEARANCE

This single word, meaning ‘outward look’ or ‘visual impression’, has a vital role to play in interviews. Your appearance can make a real impact on others, especially the selection board which happens to look at you from both angles – subjectively and objectively. A lot depends on how you impress the interviewer on your first meeting. It was a wise man who said, “The first impression is the last impression.” Appearance includes your overall look, which is the sum total of your:

· Clothes

· Hairstyle

· Facial Expression

· Way of walking and entering the interview hall

· Sitting posture before the interviewer

· Way to turning back and leaving the interview hall

A Russian proverb is worth mentioning here: “When you meet a man, you judge him by his clothes; when you leave, you judge him by his heart.”

The famous psychologist, Sigmund Freud, had emphasized the importance of appearance by saying, “Try to look as you want to be.” A good appearance that pleases you before a mirror, is likely to please all those who look at you As long as you are not an unduly vain person!

Are you convinced that you can’t be faulted on any of the above-mentioned factors? Do you leave behind a lasting impression on the interviewer? If not, given below are some vital hints on each factor that can make all the difference between acceptance and rejection.

Your clothes

Your dress is always important. The right dress enhances your appearance. It should be well-tailored and not out-dated. This does not mean that it should be very fashionable. Your dress / suit should be in keeping with present fashion trends so that your appearance does not seem to be conspicuous in any way. Avoid gaudy colours or strident combinations as these do not in any way help to improve your look. Very glaring colours and stylish outfits do not help to improve your looks. Clean and well-ironed clothes are far more important.

Some people prefer to wear a new dress for an interview. If it is not a good fit, it could make you restless and irritable. Most girls who wear saris for the first time to an interview, often find themselves ill at ease as they worry and fidget about their pallu. Wouldn’t it be better, therefore, to wear clothes you have worn in the past and found comfortable to walk and sit in? This will help you avoid “dress-consciousness” which leaves an unfavourable impression on the interviewer. You must ensure that your shirt and pant are properly buttoned up.

Do not wear casual clothes, especially jeans. Do not carry unnecessary diaries, pads, too many pens, a heavy purse, etc., for these only make your pockets bulge and add to your feeling of uneasiness.

While it is wise to be economical, try to buy the best clothes you can which are simple as well as well tailored. A wise man has said, “Eat what you like but wear what others like.” For the purpose of interviews, it is not necessary that you go in for expensive clothing, especially if you cannot afford it. I have come across several I.A.S. toppers and many others who appeared before the interview board dressed in ordinary cotton shirts and trousers instead of formal suits. Your dress should match your body frame and should be well-tailored to give you a presentable appearance. You must be neatly and soberly dressed. If you are sloppily dressed or cannot be bothered to dress properly for an interview, then you are, in a way, insulting the interview or the board members.

Remember, a smart and neat appearance increases your chances of being successful. You know the proverb “While in Rome, do as the Romans do” which means, wear a dress which is in harmony with your surroundings and gives you an impressive appearance and also makes you feel comfortable.

Pay equal attention to your shoes. They should look clean and well-polished. Do not wear a new pair of shoes to an interview as you may not feel at ease walking into the interview room in squeaky new shoes. In case the new shoes are tight, you will feel uncomfortable during the whole course of the interview which will, in turn, divert your attention from important points.

Lastly, if possible, wear a tie that matches your shirt and suit. Never wear a suit without a tie. Some of you may point out that job-seekers generally cannot afford a tie and suit and have mostly simple clothing. True that this may be, for certain jobs, like careers in sales / marketing and in blue-chip companies, it is essential that you are well dressed.

If an interviewer happens to appreciate your dress (or tie), do not hesitate to thank him immediately. You should not become nervous when you are asked odd questions concerning, say, the colour of your shirt, or tie or trousers. Such questions are sometimes put to judge the mental make-up of the candidate. Read the following model interview.

Take care of your hairstyle

Before entering the interview hall, you should see that, your hair is neatly combed. It is always better to keep a pocket comb. A hair-cut just before the interview should, as far as possible, be avoided. It changes the appearance of the face for some time and could make you feel edgy and uncomfortable. Boys should be well-shaven in order to project a healthy look.

If you wear a turban, ensure it is clean and properly tied. Also ensure that the colour of your turban matches the dress you are wearing.

For girls it is recommended that they carry a small comb in their purse and tidy their hair before entering the interview hall.

These are very small details but they have a vital impact on the interviewer.

Your facial expression

It is said, “Your face is the index of your mind.” An interviewer can judge a lot from your facial expressions. Wear a smile when you enter the interview room, and ask politely, “May I come in please?”

The smile should continue once you are in and are wishing the members of the interview board. This indicates the candidate’s self-confidence and relaxed attitude and will help him to develop a quick rapport with the board members. A long and serious face strains the atmosphere for both you and the interviewers. A ready, pleasant and spontaneous smile creates a favourable impression on the members of the interview board. As Dale Carnegie has pointed out, employers prefer to hire the services of a less qualified sales girl if she has a lovely smile than to hire a highly qualified person with a long and sober face.

However, don’t continue to smile once the interview gets going, especially if your interviewer means business from the very start. There are chances you could be taken for an idiot if you continue to smile. Keep a well-balanced facial expression during the whole session, changing it suitably with the type of questions you are asked. It would be even better if you could match your facial expressions with that of the members of the board interviewing you. This would create a feeling of mutual agreement between your views and that of the board. In other words, it would mean that the interviewers accept your line of thinking. You are bound to come out successful, if you are able to create the feeling of mutual rapport.

Entering the interview hall

As you are shown the door of the interview hall, thank the person who has guided you towards the room. If you enter the room on your own, close the door behind you with one hand without turning your back towards the interview board. Smile, take your time in walking over towards the table of the interview committee and say in a firm voice, “Good morning, sirs / gentlemen” (as the time may be). Do not start sitting or sit down until you are asked to do so. Though these are little things, they are important if you want to give a good impression. These techniques could be practiced before the interview in your free time.

Your way of walking

The sum total of your appearance depends to quite an extent on the way you walk and carry yourself. Cultivate a “dashing forward” way of walking with an upright military bearing. Your way of walking depicts your confidence in yourself and your “forward walking” shows fearlessness and ambition to rise in life by overcoming all obstacles. Your way of walking can thus be psychologically analysed to reveal your character. Practice this technique also before the interview.

An example here will illustrate what I mean by “dashing forward walking” and “upright military bearing”.

Therefore, while entering the hall, you should combine sobriety and dignity and your face should have a pleasing smile depicting your confidence. The moment you enter, you should be able to win over the interviewers sitting before you in such a manner that they sit up and take note of your personality. Cultivate the habit of walking briskly, pulling up your shoulders, holding your head straight, and looking ahead. Take firm and decisive steps while you walk. This indicates both your confidence and your ambition.

Your way of sitting

When you are asked by the chairman to take your seat, pull the chair towards you. Do not sit facing the interviewer directly. Pull the chair at an angle and sit about one metre away from the interviewer’s desk. Never touch or lean on the interviewer’s desk. Sit back comfortably in a relaxed way. Do not slouch or slump into your chair.

Do not change positions frequently as it will give the interviewer the impression that you are not at ease, and that you probably lack self-confidence and are nervous.

Your posture always plays an important part in many snap personality judgements that other might make about you. A poor posture may give the impression that you are not confident enough and perhaps have an inferiority complex. Therefore, sit erect and occupy the complete seat of the chair, i.e. do not sit on the edge of the seat as normally candidates do to show respect to the interviewer. A candidate sitting just on the front edge, with a shy look and downcast eyes cannot impress interviewers, however highly qualified and competent he or she may be. In this posture you cannot possibly hope to generate a rapport with the authorities sitting before you and succeed in the interview. Poor sitting posture is, in psychological terms, an indication of dependency, inferiority and lack of self-confidence. Feel at ease while sitting before the interview board. You are not yet working under them and as such feel free to air your views on the topics under discussion with self-confidence.

Practice the six above-mentioned points beforehand. Your first impression should be noteworthy. The majority of candidates are rejected during the first minute of the interview. Remember the truth behind the old saying, “The first impression is the last impression.”

The above discussion has been put in a condensed manner for your ready reference. Take careful note of the following points once again and practice them beforehand if you want to succeed.

· Sit erect, comfortably occupying the full seat of the chair and keep a pleasing smile on your face.

· Remember to look at the chairman and other members of the interview board. Do not feel shy. Do not look at a particular member or the chairman all the time.

· Do not cross your legs but keep your feet firmly on the floor, keeping your right foot slightly ahead of the left. This gives you more support and self-confidence.

· Take a confident look at all the members sitting before you in the interview board. Let them do the initial talking.

· Do not fiddle with things on the table of the interviewer, the file in your hands or the buttons on your shirt. Sit still without making odd motions but at the same time show your eagerness and desire to be questioned.

· Do not change your positions frequently in the chair as it shows that you are not at ease.

· Face the interviewers as equals and do not suffer any indignities. Remember that the interviewer’s job is to find a suitable candidate to fill a vacancy. You have to help him to find in you the qualities he is looking for.

Your way of leaving the interview hall

When you get up and leave the interview hall, you are leaving behind a distinct impression of your personality on the committee members. Convey a feeling of assurance and self-confidence in your personality. Just by your manner of turning back and leaving the room, you can completely change the initial impression the interviewers may have formed at the beginning of the interview.

Walk out of the hall with a confident gait leaving behind an impression of alert self-assurance. Maintain the same dynamic posture with which you had entered the room while you are going out.

Points to be noted

· After the interview, when the chairman asks you to leave, get up and thank all the members present.

· If the chairman extends his hand, take the opportunity to shake hands firmly and with confidence. This will prove that you don’t have a complex of any kind.

· Leave the chair calmly and put it back in its proper position. Turn to leave, portraying an upright bearing.

· Walk confidently, giving the impression of having achieved the desired goal.

· Do not forget to close the door.

· While leaving the room, do not look back.

This last leg of the interview procedure can be very paying as there are marks for this as well. Your carelessness here may negatively affect your overall performance during the interview.

Practice these little details beforehand. Have mock interviews in your classroom or at home with your friends and try to cultivate the right way walking, sitting and leaving the rooms as suggested above.