How to Guarantee Job Offers: Show Emotional Intelligence In Every Interview

I recently hired a woman who, in the past three months since hiring her, has completely exceeded our expectations. She’s smart, thoughtful, and calm under pressure. Looking back at her job interview, the signs were all there.

So what made her stand out when other candidates were just as qualified?

She demonstrated emotional intelligence, and it made all the difference.

Here are four specific ways she landed the job offer, and how you can do the same in your next interview.

Manage Your Nerves

The woman I hired was extremely level-headed during our interview. This actually continued to be true as she took on more responsibility in her role…even during a particularly contentious meeting with a client. 

Did you know that when you are nervous about something, like an interview, it is actually a good thing? It means you care. 

So how can you use that to your advantage?

Professor Alison Wood Brooks of Harvard Business School says you can reappraise that anxiety as excitement. “I find that an overwhelming majority of people believe trying to calm down is the best way to cope with pre-performance anxiety,” she wrote. “Compared with those who attempt to calm down, individuals who reappraise their anxious arousal as excitement feel more excited and perform better.” 

So instead of saying, “I am anxious, calm down,” say, “I am excited!” Big, loud and proud. Your body may still tremble, but your mind will understand the assignment. 

Actively Listen

When anxiety gets the best of you, you tend to assume you know what people are saying or asking. This can be detrimental during an interview, if you interrupt the person asking questions to get out what you want to say. 

Instead, do what my new hire did: listen intently, then take a breath and answer. 

When someone asks, “What are your career goals?” or “Where do you want to end up professionally?” they are actually wondering, ‘Do you really want to work here?’ But you need to listen carefully to ‘read between the lines.’

My new hire answered this question really well. She said she enjoyed working as a freelance content strategist for her clients and learning all the jobs it takes to execute on her own (showcasing her skillset), but she is really looking forward to working with a larger team and dedicating herself fully to one main role (confirming her commitment). So smart. 

Share Stories, Not Just Skills

You likely know you should practice your answers to standard interview questions ahead of time, but did you know you should be prepping stories?

Stories are what people remember. 

I loved how my new hire shared the story about introducing a new piece of technology to a brand she was working with and how training the sales team was a challenge, but that she utilized her skills as a new mom to break through. She was telling me about the skill set required, and that many other applicants possessed, but she did it in a way that was memorable. 

Before your next interview, write out a few stories that showcase your best skills, some big wins, and even a learning opportunity you experienced. If you are just out of college and don’t have a full-time job to pull experience from, consider volunteer work, part-time work, extracurricular activities or even family responsibilities you could refer to. 

Bonus tip: Do not ramble. Tell your story. Connect the dots to the question asked, then stop talking. 

Express Genuine Gratitude

No matter how things pan out, people still took time out of their busy days to learn more about you. Thank them, genuinely, for this. 

Make sure interviewers know you are grateful for the opportunity to interview and potentially work together. Say something like: 

“Thank you so much for your time today. I really enjoyed our conversation, and I’m even more excited about the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me in the meantime.”

Smile and make eye contact. Use his or her first name, if possible. Then follow-up with an email thank you within 24 hours. 

You’d be surprised at how far gratitude will take you. 

Want more strategies that lead to real job offers?

I’ve used these exact tools to land my dream job, earn four promotions, and 5x my salary, and I share them every week in my newsletter.

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