Just finished reading a blog post from Boss Advice about interview techniques, like anything I can take or leave some advice but this one creeped me out a little. Blogs being what they are I couldn’t help but comment on this. The article basically covers ‘how to make a personal connection to the interviewer that you can later use to call them back about’, hence making yourself stand out from the competition at the job interview. Unfirtunately some of this adviceis borderline stalker stuff and I for one would never advise that a candidate attending an interview tries it.
Making a personal connection, for example, might include;
Look around the interviewer’s office for any personal effects that might open the door to a connection. For example, if you see a photograph of a very large family gathering, you comment on it and mention that you, too come from a large family (if you do). Find something in the room that you can personally connect with, and then make a casual and sincere comment about it.
Personally I couldn’t think of anything worse, imagine yourself in the interviewer’s shoes for a minute and think about what is about to come out of the candidate’s mouth. Hmmm, next 
thing you know he’s invited himself along to the families annual BBQ get together because he “just loves burnt sausages and good old family get togethers”. Chances are the interview will be held in the most impersonal interview room with just a plain old desk and two chairs, leaving the candidate only the interviewer’s attire to comment on. Yes, surely the job will be yours if you make that personal comment about isn’t it great that 70′s fashion is making a comeback and that kipper tie is way out there Mr Interviewer.
One particular thing I think most interviewer’s are not keen on is the call from the keen over eager candidate who made a “personal connection” with them during the interview:
To continue the fishing analogy, don’t forget to “reel in” the bait you left, and actually follow through on the offer you made. The purpose of leaving the bait was so that you would have a valid excuse for contacting your interviewer again, which further cements you in his or her mind. Send the materials you promised.
Gosh, don’t reel in the “bait”, please leave the interview with self respect in place, knowing that you presented yourself in a professional engaging manner without the need for gimmicks that could have restraining orders placed on you. And don’t call the interviewer unless they have called you first, gimmicks never got anyone the job – it ain’t big and it definitely ain’t clever.
Twitter: pm4girls
This is spot on, gimmicks never get you a job. When I worked in recruiting I was once sent half a photo of someone: they had cut their photo horizontally down the middle so that only one side of their body was in the picture. The accompanying letter said: “If you want to see the rest of me, invite me to an interview,” or some such nonsense.
She didn’t get invited to interview. Making up for a poor quality CV with a gimmick is never going to work!
Twitter: projectmgmt
Yes Elizabeth, but surprisingly so many still do it – love the half picture though I think that trumps most of what I’ve seen over the last 7 years!
I think there’s a place for gimmicks and that’s if you’re applying for an advertising “creative” role, or similar. If you can show something clever (in a good way), inventive, unique and interesting, then you will get noticed – and that is the purpose of the job role: to create something that will be noticed and remembered.
Having said that, it needs to be backed by a good CV and I think the line between “gimmick” and “wow!” is very fine and indistinct. It’s still a risk.
Twitter: projectmgmt
I totally agree with what you’re saying Tim. I can quickly distinguish a “creative” project manager’s CV from the rest, generally because the CV layout and fonts etc are “nice” and I mean that in a good way (a bit like when you touched an iPod for the first time and thought that’s nice – or is that just me). We advise project management people on their CVs all the time and you do want people’s CVs to stand out from the crowd but obviously in a gimmick free way. Often the “wow factor” can just be a finely crafted CV which clearly the writer has given it much thought and believe me there aren’t many of those out there so we automatically say wow! when we get one.
It’s essential that you lose your fear and appear confident. A key to being successful at interviews is not always what you say, but that your present your answers with confidence and poise.