Top-Notch Interviewing: How to Avoid Appearing Too Desperate

The process of applying for jobs can be so taxing that at the end of a long day of searching, it’s pretty common to just collapse from exhaustion. With so much work involved in the process, it’s no wonder that some candidates can get a little desperate. If you feel you are in a position of desperation as you search for jobs, you don’t want this to be obvious if you are called in for an interview. So before you go in for the next one, let’s explore some ways that you can saturate your interview with self-confidence. Don’t Show Up Too Early This may seem like a strange request, but research shows that hiring managers don’t care for the job candidate who shows up for an interview an hour early. While you’re thinking that you’re showing your interest in the job, you’re actually showing the hiring manager that you’re a little desperate – or worse, don’t respect him enough to show up at the time allotted. Think about it; the hiring manager is probably a busy person with other meetings and candidates to interview. If you show up too early, he will feel obligated to work with you despite the meeting time you set up. This may not fair well for you in the long run. So to avoid this desperate interviewing behavior costing you the job, it’s better to not announce yourself until 10 minutes prior to the interview time. Try Not to Mention Your Personal Hardships Another act that shows a bit of desperation on the job candidate’s end is mentioning personal hardships in the middle of the interview. For instance, if the hiring manager asks you “Why do you want this job?” it may be tempting to tell about how you were laid off, lost your house, and now desperately need food to put on the table. It’s actually a very compelling story and one that should probably be shared with the correct party. However, that party is most likely not going to be the hiring manager. Another way to answer this question is to refrain from focusing on the negatives of the experience. While you can share that you were laid off, you can also share how you’ve grown from the experience and feel that a difficult situation such as this has left you in a great place to contribute even more now that you’re stronger. In other words, you can use this opportunity to be even more upbeat and show your resilience. End With a Firm Handshake While you want to showcase that you are happy to have been granted the interview, you also want to display confidence. And believe it or not, a sign of weakness for many lies in the handshake. If it is weak, you may too seem weak. However, if you end with a firm handshake and feel comfortable looking into the interviewer’s eyes, you will appear much more confident than you think. It’s not always easy to avoid feeling desperate when you don’t know where your next paycheck is coming from. But if you can swallow your anxiety for an hour or so while interviewing, you may alleviate the stress of the job search permanently by becoming once again employed.