Fake It 'til You Make It: How To Bluff Your Way Through a Job Interview and Still Land the Gig

Short of meeting a prospective mate's parents, there is nothing more burdened with agenda than the common job interview. We assess and judge people all the time, but nowhere is this quite as expected and accepted as when a job is on the line. A minefield of potential traps awaits ' you might forget something important, say the wrong thing at the wrong time, or you may remind the interviewer of his least favorite cousin. Chances are you've come prepared ' still, sometimes the chemistry is just all wrong.

In that case it's time to flash a few tricks of the interviewing trade that just might save your Curriculum Vitae from the dumpster:

- Maintain eye contact. Doing otherwise is like a confession that you're nervous, and you don't want to show a crack in your armor, even when it's made of tin foil.

- Speaking of armor: that suit that fit you so well three Thanksgiving's ago might just need some tailoring now. Remember that interviewers will look for any sign that might disqualify you from the competition. And unless your supreme software development skills would keep you hidden away in a lab with other super-geeks, your 'interesting' tie-shirt-suit pattern interplay may signal a lack of nonverbal awareness that could leave a major wrinkle in the interviewer's perception of you.

- Get right to it. Chit-chat is dangerous when you're not firing on all cylinders. Focus on what you can do for the company right now, and worry about him liking you later.

- Ask good questions. It shows you are prepared, it increases your chances of being perceived as assertive, and that you want this job, not just a job.

- Anticipate the unexpected. Each interview is different, and from trick questions to background checks that rival Homeland Security's, you might want to prepare for worst-case scenario. Better to have a reasonable response to that skeleton in your closet than the look of a deer in headlights.

- Muster a genuine smile. You don't have to be Tom Cruise to pull it off; just make sure your eyes smile too and you may be forgiven a hundred interview sins, even on a day when you're guilty of them all.

- Beware the pitch of your voice. Take it down a notch and speak a bit slower than you normally would. Too slow and you'll sound clueless, but a bit measured will make you sound thoughtful.

- Be deliberate with your answers. The interviewer has a lot more practice at this than you and may ask questions that are designed to gauge your reactions. Count on it, actually.

- Mind your body language, always striving to appear relaxed. Maintain solid posture and avoid fidgeting. And above all else, don't forget to breathe.

- Say My Name, Say My Name, is not just a song by Destiny's Child. It's also a reminder for you to call the interviewer by his or her name a couple of times before you exit. For one thing, it shows you know how to connect on a basic level. And secondly, it's a universal sign of respect.

- Make sure your parting handshake is particularly warm and firm. Too firm and you're trying too hard. Too soft and you're out of your element. Mildly firm gets you invited back.

Interviewing is a game, and your opponent is a pro who is far less nervous than you are. But for every Goliath there is a David, and this just might be your slingshot day if you keep these things in mind. If you can overcome your nerves and take command of your exterior countenance, that sound you hear just might be you scraping by.

Author: Harrison Monarth

Harrison Monarth is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker, and is the President of GuruMaker - School of Professional Speaking, a communications consulting firm that coaches Fortune 500 executives, political candidates and entrepreneurs in the art of influence, presentation and message development. To purchase your copy of Harrison's recent book The Confident Speaker, go to http://www.theconfidentspeaker.com .

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