If you ever find yourself in a job interview, having to navigate the pitfalls of social interaction to land the role then there's a technique you might try.
There are all sorts of things you can do when you're sitting across the table from a prospective employer to convince them you're the right candidate.
One woman swears by asking the question: "Are there any concerns that you have about me that we can address before we end?"
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She reckons it lets you set the interviewers at ease if there's anything they'd want to talk about after you've left the room.
You should also be careful what sort of questions you're being asked, as there may be some 'indirect questions' which mean you get asked the things you're not really supposed to be asked.
That's where 'humourbragging' comes into the mix as another job interview technique that might bring you success.
Dr Jieun Pai, assistant professor at Imperial College Business School, conducted a study on the effectiveness of this technique.
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The basic thing of 'humourbragging' is promoting yourself without coming across as arrogant or boastful - you've got to get across how talented you are without seeming like you think you're too cool.
She told PsyPost that the key was 'the potential of humour as a strategy to navigate the dilemma of balancing the need to demonstrate competence while also appearing likable and relatable'.
She and her colleagues created two resumes with identical qualifications where one contained her technique and the other did not to 345 employers.
One resume said: "I am a highly motivated and detail-oriented sales representative with experience and a proven track record of people skills. I look forward to supporting your company’s goals dedicatedly."
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Meanwhile, the humourbragging one said: "I am a driven sales representative who is detail-oriented and passionate about serving your company’s goals. I have a proven track record of turning caffeine input into productivity output.
"The more coffee you can provide, the more output I will produce."
They had the same qualifications but the resume with humourbragging got three times as much interest.
Other experiments as part of the study found that humourbragging made interviewers see a candidate as warmer and more competent.
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However, you should pick when and where to use it as, as Dr Pai added that relying solely on humour can 'backfire'.
While you have your tips and tricks, the interviewers will have their own to throw at you as well.
Steve Jobs used to like taking Apple applicants out for a beer so they'd loosen up a bit and give what he thought might be more honest answers.
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One employer used to use a wobbly chair where one of the legs was shorter than the others to test whether the applicant would be brave enough to pause the interview and ask for a different seat.
There may be a booby-trap question in the mix, or they could be scoping out whether you'd put up with some of the demands they might place on you after you have the job.
Both sides of the job interview really ought to be on the lookout for red flags across the table.
Best of luck.
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