Do you consider yourself ‘likeable’?
If not, you might want to work on that.
The best pitch in the world will fail if your audience doesn’t feel some connection to you.
In an interview, you may have the best qualifications and experience, but if the panel doesn’t like you, then forget it. The candidate with the least qualifications and experience may be the one who actually gets the job, simply because they made a personal connection. They were calm, friendly, open and perhaps occasionally funny.
Here are a few things to consider when aiming for likeability:
+ You may already have plenty of likeable qualities; ask someone you trust what those are. If they describe plenty, then you’re OK. If they struggle, let them off the hook – their hesitation is a validation of your original concern; valuable feedback in itself.
+ It’s all about letting go. The more relaxed you are, the happier you’ll come across. Mediate and/or exercise, and the next time someone asks how you are, you might smile and give them something positive (bingo! Likeability), instead of the typical passive British moan.
+ Lighten up a bit! Taking life a little less seriously (and this means having a sense of humour, not being lazy) can help you accept things and go with the flow. Now that’s likeable.
If the whole idea of changing yourself to ‘be likeable’ irks you a little, I get it. But it’s really about being authentic. And you can do that, right?