Projecting a Winning Attitude

Even if you have compiled an impressive resume highlighting years of job experience, hooking a job recruiter and scoring an interview is still only half the battle. The interview itself is more about revealing your personal attributes and projecting a winning attitude. If you want to impress a potential employer, follow these tips to enter the interview with quiet confidence, and prove that you are a valuable addition to the work team.

Before the interview, practice your answers to potential questions so you can answer with clarity and confidence, and arrive on time to project a professional attitude. Also keep in mind that interviewers use nonverbal cues, such as attire and hand gestures, to measure a winning attitude. Err on the side of caution when choosing the formality of your outfit, and be careful not to play with your hands during the interview, which conveys a timid, nervous attitude. When you first arrive, make eye contact with the interviewer while giving a firm handshake to convey a sense of confidence, and keep an upbeat attitude throughout the interview. Smile often, maintain good posture, and don't be afraid to laugh when it's appropriate. If you are nervous before the interview, take a few slow, deep breaths to calm yourself before entering the room.

To gauge a winning attitude, interviewers may ask questions about how you respond to new opportunities, how willing you are to learn new things and how you set a positive example for your work team. They may also ask questions that target your motivation and goals to find out what moves you and where your winning attitude originates. During the job interview, be sure to talk about how you have overcome challenges in the past, especially in relation to work projects and teams. You might even explain how you managed to create positive opportunities from negative situations. This can be especially helpful when speaking about being laid off from a previous job or experiencing a long bout of unemployment.

While answering your interviewer, nothing projects a winning attitude like the willingness to answer every question completely and honestly. Be willing to share all work-related information, even if it doesn't cast you in a positive light. This shows the interviewer that you are not apt to cover up your mistakes or overlook unfavorable personal attributes. Your flexibility in answering unfavorable questions also demonstrates your ability to adapt, an attribute that is especially useful when you are joining a new work team.

Projecting a winning attitude encompasses your appearance, your body language and your answers to an interviewer's questions, so ensure you are adequately prepared to make all these factors match up. Don't forget to end the job interview with a thank you, a smile and a firm handshake to solidify your positive impression.

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