8 Powerful Interview Skills You Can Learn From Chris Gardner

We all have to go through this for a new job and that is the interview. This one word, one word, is enough to kill many people to get the job they want. Sure, it’s just another chat session with new people in a new place, but even if you know it, you just can’t pass that interview. You stutter, shake while speaking, fidget, and worse, swear when you say the wrong thing or pass the wrong comment in front of your interviewers, yes, and one of them is your future boss.

I know there are many books out there to teach and guide you how to perform well in an interview, but there is no better way than using a scene from the movie. The pursuit of happiness where Chris Gardner attends an interview at Dean Witter in less than ideal condition as a case study. We will take a close look at each stage of the interview.

  1. Be confident. Chris was feeling nervous, not just because of the interview itself, but because he was thinking about how to explain his bad attire to the interviewers. When his name was called for the interview, it’s evident that he was still very nervous (his body language of him, the hand signs, those eyes), feeling scared like all of us when we go to an interview. Yet he mustered courage with an all-or-nothing attitude and at the same time gave him confidence, as you can see in the way he walked towards Dean Witter, that body stance, those wide steps. You have the idea of ​​what I’m talking about here. Confidence is the key to take the first step to win this battle. Don’t think too much, just go in and do the best you can with everything you have.
  2. Look at the company. As Chris walks into Dean Witter, he walks past the front office, where he showed him his hectic and fast-paced day at the company. He looks around, taking in each individual (what they were doing) and the entire dynamic scene as he continues on his way to meet his interviewers. In the last part of his interview, he used his observation to his advantage by saying that he can demonstrate qualities like diligence, seriousness, and teamwork. The 3 attributes were exactly what he saw in his eyes that were needed to be a Dean Witter running back. Watch the company as he walks in or wait to be called in for an interview. Know their slogan, their products, awards and such. There are times when he may find something he didn’t find on your websites or advertisements. They will be of some use to you in some way.
  3. Professional label. chris extends his hand to give his interviewers a firm handshake. Now this is very professional etiquette as you would see in a business meeting. By doing so, you are telling your interviewers that you respect them, and it is also “reassuring” to see someone behaving like a business person. Imagine looking at a sloppy unprofessional person and a clean professional person, who will make you feel good? Who will you hire?
  4. Speak loud and clear. Now, throughout his interview, Chris spoke with confidence: loud, clear and direct. At the same time he talks with his hands waving from time to time and those hand gestures. Just like the people you see giving seminars and talks, these are the confident people who are speaking to hundreds or thousands of audiences when they deliver their speech. In an interview, he talks like them and you will win the hearts of your interviewers more.
  5. Don’t try to lie about the obvious. It was very obvious that something was wrong before Chris came to the interview. Rather than think about lying, he told interviewers the truth about being arrested for parking tickets, fleeing the police station, and painting the apartment. Now, if he has something obviously faulty or wrong, he doesn’t try to lie or hide. It is better to admit it, to be honest than to lie about it. Nobody likes liars and boasters because these people will not fully trust the company if they are hired. A person who acknowledges and is honest shows that he is someone who will own up to his mistakes and a trustworthy employee. Would you like someone who lies to you in front of your face often? I bet not.
  6. Be sincere with the work and humble. The interviewer Mr. Frohm says that Chris is smart. Instead of answering “Yes, of course I am”, he responded with “I’d like to think of it myself”. The interviewer also asked Chris if he wanted to learn this business and if he had started learning on his own and Chris responded with a firm “Yes” with a heartfelt “I really want-to-learn-to-be-a-broker.” “. “Look him in the eye. Tell your interviewers honestly that you want the job, that you want to work for the company, and not by giving a ‘whatever, if I get the job, well if I don’t, I’ll try other jobs’ look.” Show them that he’s hungry and eager to learn, to join them on board the company.Be humble because if you don’t, interviewers will think you’re some kind of smart alec and nobody likes smart alec.Smart Alec doesn’t learn or listen.
  7. Sell ​​yourself when you feel the odds are in your favor. Chris’s academic performance was not what the interviewers expected, even though he placed first in his class and in the Navy radar class. It was such a small class that getting first in them was not an achievement. These were odds for Chris at the time, but he turned the tables by laying out his principles, his good points, about finding answers he doesn’t know how to answer and easily admitting ignorance to a question. All this confidently. Now, if something is not in your favor, maybe your poor academic performance, your past experience not matching your expectations or whatever, you can still sell yourself your own style, your principles or attributes that will show you as someone very interested. in working, learning and growing with the company. Tell them how your soft skills can greatly help them in exchange for their employment. Is that fair enough?
  8. Smile and humour. Remember to smile. Use some light humor if possible to show likability in you and your ability to get along with people, your colleagues and bosses. “He must have had some very nice pants.” LOL!

There you have it, 8 powerful skills that you can definitely learn from Chris Gardner in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. The skills are real, not just saying “Oh, it’s just a movie.” These skills that you can apply to your job interview effectively. It’s very easy to acquire these 8 powerful abilities – just watch the video as many times as you like until you’re familiar with the “drill” and when Will Smith’s voice starts ringing in your head, you know you’ve acquired the abilities you need, powerful . skills to excel in a job interview.

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