Job candidates who have the skills and experience to do the job are typically the only ones who make it to the interviewing stage of recruiting.  So if all things are equal in terms of skills and experience, how does an interviewee make themselves stand out?  One way of making it from interviewee to new hire is by letting the best parts of your personality shine.  Basically, job candidates need to show that they would be a pleasure to work with. Below are a few tips:

Learn To Listen

While most job candidates are confident that they are good listeners, the truth is that most need to hone this skill.  The art of listening involves more than quietly hearing someone else speak and throwing in a few head nods.  A true master of listening will also do the following:

1. Acknowledge what the other person is saying.
2. Wait for a natural pause before interjecting a comment.
3. Keep comments brief and on topic.

Show Humility

There is a fine line between showing humility and showing insecurity. Job candidates want to avoid statements such as “I’m not really good at so and so but…”  which shows insecurity and instead opt for statements that show humility such as “Joe was strong at it so I decided to let him take on that aspect of the case,” or “Jane and I made a great team on that litigation case.”  Humility demonstrates a candidate’s ability to understand that they are not the lone hero and acknowledge the contributions of others.

Avoid Gratuitous Flattery

While compliments are a good way to become a popular interviewee, gratuitous flattery is obvious and off putting.  Job candidates should keep compliments genuine, work related and at a minimum to avoid the perception that they are trying to flatter their way into a job.