Interview Humor

Interview Humor

From Career Tips, 2015 Volume 7, July 2015

 

A colleague related a situation where he thought it would be good to lighten up the mood during a group interview, so he told a funny story. It accomplished that goal for most of the group, but did not go over well with the most senior person.

 

A friend interviewed for a job where I had provided a recommendation, and when asked how she knew about the job, said lightly, "Through John and Helene, but I hope you won't hold that against me." No one smiled.

 

Now those reactions may not have been the deciding factor in not receiving an offer, but they illustrate the danger of trying to be funny in an interview.

 

You may be saying to yourself, "People tell me I have a good sense of humor, and that is one of the attributes they appreciate in working with me. Are you seriously saying I should hide that from interviewers?"

 

No. There is a big difference between letting your personality show through and actively attempting to be funny. Relating a story of how you used humor to defuse a tense meeting is a great illustration of your interpersonal skills. Telling a joke is less so.

 

Trying too hard to BE funny can easily go awry. The interviewer may think you aren't serious enough - that you take the interview or opportunity too lightly. She may assume that this is the way you approach all serious discussions, and have concerns about how you are going to interact with senior management or important clients. He may wonder if this is a mask for your nervousness, and now wonder what you have to be so nervous about.

 

Then there's the humor itself. Humor is very context sensitive. Ask any comic and you will hear how the same story that wowed one audience bombed for another. Your funny story about an interaction with a difficult customer might resonate really well with an interviewer who has faced a similar situation. On the other hand, it might offend another who imagines you joking in the break room about important clients, or who has been on the receiving end of some of those jokes.

 

A lot of this goes back to the depth of your relationship with the listener. When I know you well, I understand the context in which you operate. I have a sense of when you are being serious, sarcastic or ironic. I recognize whether the story you are telling illustrates how you really feel about that situation, or is just an anecdote intended to lighten the mood.

 

You rarely have that level of relationship with an interviewer, unless you knew him before or have developed it with her over a series of extended meetings. This points to when you can at least use MORE - when you are further along in the process, and the relationship has started to really mature.

 

Even then, err on the side of caution. Save your full inner comic for once you are actually on the job. And then think about context - is there anything in what I am saying or doing that might give pause (in a negative way) to the senior officer who happens to be standing just outside the break room door?

 

 

PS: 

Here's an example where the humor actually paid off -

• A client had a panel interview that he thought went really well. 
• He had an internal advocate and developed a lot of rapport with the group.
• When it got to the end, and they asked if he had any other questions.
• He asked with a smile, "Yes.  When do I start?"
• He started the next week.

 

 

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