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I feel that the reason I am not getting offers is because interviewers don't see me as being enthusiastic about the job. I am a very calm person who is good under stress but I feel like employers are looking for someone who is very hyper/bubbly and very talkative.

I'm good at what I do and have the skills/experience but feel my lack of "enthusiasm" is costing me job offers.

What are some ways I can seem more "interested" in a position (which I already am since I applied).

UPDATE:

Just wanted to update you guys on this if you were curious.

So I drank a pot of coffee before my interview to see how I would "react" I was shaking from the caffeine and jump off walls. I was very excited and energetic throughout the whole interview. I am happy to report I did receive an offer. I changed nothing about my interview style only my energy and appropriately that's what they were looking for.

LegendofLegends
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    Maybe smile more often? being calm does not mean you have to be stoic or show no emotions. – DarkCygnus Nov 21 '17 at 18:29
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    Have you actually had feedback that this is the issue? – Philip Kendall Nov 21 '17 at 18:29
  • @Philip, afraid not, I've requested feedback but I get a generic answer. I guess I'll drink more coffee to get me hyper lol – LegendofLegends Nov 21 '17 at 18:37
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    Similar: How to sound enthusiastic about the job role over telephonic interview – Bernhard Barker Nov 21 '17 at 18:46
  • What was the actual feedback you got? – IDrinkandIKnowThings Nov 21 '17 at 19:11
  • @IDrinkandIKnowThings, I get the "we felt another candidate would be better suited" and nothing more. – LegendofLegends Nov 21 '17 at 20:47
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    At the risk of being harsh, it's much more likely that you're bad at interviewing than that some arbitrary lack of "bubbliness" is costing you jobs. And what's vastly more likely than either scenario is that you're in a tough job market and a job search takes time and a lot of attempts. How many applications/phone screens/interviews are we talking about here? And while I might be reading too much into your phrasing: are you using "enthusiastic" as code for "engaged" or "involved"? Even calm people will appear enthusiastic by simply taking a stake in the interview, which you should always do. – Lilienthal Nov 21 '17 at 21:09
  • @LegendofLegends - I suspect its more that your qualifications for the positions are lacking compared to your competitions. – IDrinkandIKnowThings Nov 21 '17 at 21:15
  • @Lilienthal, thank you for being honest and not sugar coating lol. I've been on 10+ interviews in the past three months. All of these interviews led to the final in-person interviews. I even received an offer from one of the companies but declined as the pay wasn't up to par with what I was looking for. I felt really good about all of them but with no actual feedback being presented by either of these companies, it makes it difficult to pin-point my strengths/weaknesses. – LegendofLegends Nov 21 '17 at 21:58
  • Should I start asking softball questions? I remember with one of interviews I asked What separates your company Y from company X? which caught them off guard and made them defensive. – LegendofLegends Nov 21 '17 at 22:03
  • @LegendofLegends For the "what questions to ask the interviewer" see What should I ask as an applicant in a job interview? and the linked question in there. They are closed but may give you some more ideas. – Brandin Nov 22 '17 at 07:56
  • @LegendofLegends Hmm, that's enough data to justify taking a closer look at the way you handle interviews and how you approach a role. If you have a friend or family member who can play the role, doing a pretend interview could help with that. But keep in mind that this could still be simple numbers or bad luck working against you. You're getting multiple rounds of interviews so you're not screwing up hugely I'd say. Have you made sure to send personalised replies to these reactions asking people for some feedback? And note that there are good and bad ways to request that. – Lilienthal Nov 22 '17 at 22:22

  • UPDATE:

    Just wanted to update you guys on this if you were curious.

    So I drank a pot of coffee before my interview to see how I would "react" I was shaking from the caffeine and jump off walls. I was very excited and energetic throughout the whole interview. I am happy to report I did receive an offer. I changed nothing about my interview style only my energy and appropriately that's what they were looking for.

     – LegendofLegends Nov 27 '17 at 23:25

2 Answers2

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  • When the interviewer is speaking, lean forward.
  • Nod often
  • Engage in "active listening" (look it up)
  • Smile
  • ask questions
  • SAY that you're excited about the opportunity
  • Ask for the job.
  • Tell them that you appreciate the opportunity
  • Give an enthusiastic handshake.
  • Follow up with a thank-you email
Old_Lamplighter
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You can show interest by fully participating in the conversation.

Don't just answer questions that are tossed your way. Do that, but try to see behind the intent of the question, and elaborate with more information, or related experiences. If you are interested in the position, surely you have questions about the company, the role, the context of the work, your potential coworkers, and lots of other things. Ask them!

Bernhard Barker
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Peter
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