Have you ever heard of the phrase “Fake it till you make it”?
I have recently been reading the book “12 Rules for Life” by Jordan B. Peterson. In the book, he discusses hierarchies being a common facet of life in societies. The author looks at Lobsters and their competitive nature to fight for the most secure spots for shelter. Scientists have gone one step further and have identified that the “winning” lobsters have a higher ratio of the hormone serotonin to octopamine. The result has an impact on the lobsters posture. As you may have guessed, those with more serotonin are more agile and upright.
A Norwegian zoologist also studied barnyard chickens in the 1920s and noticed the hierarchy amongst the birds. In fact, it is where another well known term “the pecking order” actually originated. At the top you will find the healthiest, strongest chickens who always get to the food first, with the weakest chickens scrabbling around for the crumbs. Origins of the “pecking order”
What does this have to do with humans? Well, a lot actually.
Notice those around you who appear to be winning at life. Often, they will walk a little taller with body language and composure to match.
As we all know, competition for work is tough at the moment due to there being many industry sectors cutting back due to Covid. Now, I am not suggesting that you can walk in to an interview and get hired just because you walk with a straight back, but there are elements of this hierarchy that we can take away.
How does this help in an interview?
1. Ensure that you have a FIRM handshake. It may feel totally uncomfortable to you, but when you meet a potential new employer in person, do make sure that you have a firm grip.
2. Make good eye contact. You can master this in both person and zoom interviews. In fact, practising talking in to the computer ahead of a zoom call can actually really help relax you.
3. Treat every conversation as though you have something to learn. Pay attention, look interested.
4. Watch your posture. Both face to face and perhaps even more so over Zoom interviews, ensure that you place your laptop or computer at a level where you can achieve a straight back and relaxed shoulders. Even if you don’t feel overly confident, you can still portray an element of confidence just by your body posture.
In life, there are many times that we need to “fake it before we make it” and your interview style and approach is often the one chance that you get to impress.
So go ahead, be that lobster!
