Nail Your First Job Interview: Showcase Your Strengths

My first job interview was a complete nightmare. As I showed up in a brightly colored dress and tan heels, wobbling like a newborn giraffe, I couldn’t believe how misplaced I felt. Moments later, waiting in the small, yet elegant, lobby the feeling grew until it consumed me. It was as if I just knew deep down inside the job wasn’t meant to be mine.

When my interviewer came to bring me to a large conference room in the middle of the building, I became nervous and started to babble. I don’t even remember everything I said. It was the complete definition of what Cady Heron in Mean Girls meant when she mentioned “word vomit.” Luckily, I didn’t conclude this with the literal version. I was letting my true I personality colors shine through in all of their loud, sometimes obnoxious, glory.

Every personality style has something that can leave a potential employer seeing spots. Luckily, there are also traits that will let you burn bright and leave a fantastic first impression. If you don’t know the strengths of your DISC style, click here to get started. Your DISC StudentKeys Student Strengths profile will reveal your personality strengths, as well as limitations, and provide you with an action plan to help you practice overcoming your personality fears to ace your next interview. It will also give you a list of career options to make sure you are interviewing for a position best fit for your DISC style.

Here are some things to take to your next interview, as well as something to leave at the door:

D-Dominance: You’re known for being direct so don’t be afraid to ask for what you want, what you deserve and letting them know you’re the best person for the job. D personalities make great leaders, and leaders will always have a following. Make sure they follow your lead -- all the way to hiring you. Also make sure they know you will be a good team member and complete your fair share. Try to tell them about times when you’ve contributed in a group setting or were not the leader of the task at-hand.

I-Influential: High I’s are great at making new friends and being a social butterfly. Don’t be afraid to let that come out in an interview. One thing I’ve learned from employers is they love employing people they would like to hang out with. (I have to admit -- I’ve been hired for my personality before and I’m pretty proud of it.) Make sure they remember your bubbly personality and want to see your friendly face at the next weekly meeting. Just don’t do what I did and overshare your personal life or anything you would regret saying later. Try coming up with a list of things you should not talk about and make sure to stick with it.

S-Stable: You’re an extremely reliable person, you enjoy listening to what others have to say and will bend over backwards to help anyone out -- now you just need everyone else to know it. Share about the time you stayed two hours after your shift ended to help with a time-crunch project, or when you went in early to cover for your boss or co-worker. You should also share your incredible list of references because of your dependability. Make sure not to let your modesty leave you speechless though. Try telling yourself affirmations of your skill set, and remember during the interview to share what you bring to the table.

C-Compliant: C personalities are known for being “the numbers person.” This means your resume will be on-point, and you’ll remember percentages of your productivity or the number of clients you’ve brought on. You’ll have lists of facts and figures to prove you know what you’re doing, and how to do the job well. You’re also very straight to-the-point. Make sure your interviewer will remember you, and don’t be afraid to practice what I like to call “story times.” These are when you use personal, yet professional, stories to elaborate on your data points.

Most important for every personality style -- remember to relax and be yourself -- and hopefully these tips will help you land your dream job. The Student Strengths Report will provide students, educators and parents with important information to build a successful future. The assessments have been university validated and are a proven tool for students to learn and retain more, improve their understanding and grades, as well as plan for their future careers.

Have you ever felt like your personality has hurt or helped you during an interview or when meeting with potential employers? Make sure to share it with us in the comments below.