Ten(10) Interviewer Personality Types

Achieves Youngish (Young Achiever)

Achieves youngish: A twenty something, fresh-faced, conservatively
dressed, preppier type most commonly seen on college campuses during job
fairs; easily tamed; demeanor is cheerful and positive — friendly.
Approach these specimens with down-home charm, and you have them eating
out of your hand. Encourage conversations about extracurricular activities,
common interests, leadership positions, admiration for the company, and a lot
of enthusiasm. But not for too long.
Specimens of this type have little or no interviewing experience, so help out
by asking questions. Doing so puts them at ease. To get the job, focus on
demonstrating traits, skills, goals, and experiences that the achieves

Businesslike Serious (Serious
Businessperson)

Businessmen serious: Gray-haired, successful, most often seen wearing a
slightly rumpled, expensive suit; females are less common than males;
demeanor is serious and businesslike.
Approach these specimens with confidence and humility and let them know
that you’re willing to work your way to the top. Discuss your academic or
work achievements, strict work ethic, steadfast dedication to a goal, and
leadership skills. Let the businessmen serious see that you have broad knowledge
of the company.
Let this specimen control the interview. To get the job, focus on showing the
businessmen serious exactly what skills you bring to the company and how you
can apply those skills toward the position you seek.
Caution: Most specimens of this type are friendly. However, a few have a
mutant gene that makes them very dangerous. Watch out for the ones who
try to bite you with stress-inducing situations and off-the-wall questions.

Bosses Potentials (Potential Boss)

Bosses potentials: Of variegated descriptions; similar to businessmen serious;
usually found at top of department, looking for help; demeanor is serious
and practical.
To identify these specimens, ask whether the businessmen serious interviewing
you would be your direct boss. If so, ask questions about management philosophy.
Then present your skills as compatible with that philosophy. For
example, if the bosses potentials mentions teamwork, show yourself as a
team player.
The bosses potential us values common sense, work experience, and a positive
attitude and despises arrogance and immaturity. Use level-headed practicality
when approaching these specimens and let them control the interview.

Contemplatives ColdFusion

(Cold Contemplation)
Contemplatives ColdFusion: Usually found in comfortable, uninteresting
clothing in a practical environment; doesn’t collect personal items; likes to
be alone; methodical, precise, and work-oriented; demeanor is quiet and
self-sufficient.
If you have any discrepancies on your resume, beware — contemplatives
ColdFusion wants a logical explanation. These specimens are thinkers —
analytical and critical. Approach them with reserve and self-confidence.
Don’t talk too much and don’t try to be their new best friend. Focus your
answers so that you do not stray into irrelevant information — doing so
drives contemplatives ColdFusion crazy.
Do give plenty of information for them to mull over; they love details, so tell
them the who, what, why, when, and how. These specimens love analyzing,
but they need something to analyze. Offer your skills, achievements, and
experience as a rich analytic possibility, more interesting than any other yet
offered, and they’ll be happy.

Fuzziness Warms (Warm Fuzzes Person)

Fuzziness warms: Nonthreatening, friendly, likes people; several personal
items in office; usually involved in several things at once; smiles often and
genuinely; demeanor is concerned, comfortable, and thoughtful.
These specimens make sure that you’re happy and comfortable before they
start the interview. In fact, you may find that they spend so much time caring
for you that you never get interviewed.
Start by establishing a connection and then steer the interview toward more
serious matters. Fuzziness warms is delighted to follow your lead; after all,
they just want you to be happy. Don’t expect them to be very skilled at interviewing
— they hate making decisions. So be ready to present all of your
qualifications for the job.

Interview us Incompetents (Incompetent
Interviewer)

Interview us incompetents: Of all shapes, colors, and sizes; found in various
environments; identified by a poor interviewing technique; demeanor varies.
Unlike its distant relative, the interview us computes, the interview us incompetents
either has little training or experience in interviewing or has personality
problems. If your interview seems unfocused, or you find yourself asked
unethical or irrelevant questions, or you’re faced with an arrogant brute who
never lets you speak, you can be fairly sure that you’ve entered the lair of
interview us incompetents.
To escape this specimen unscathed and leave the best impression possible,
gracefully take control of the situation by repeating the questions for focus,
asking questions that demonstrate your skills or knowledge in a particular
area, staying calm, and initiating discussion of your skills and their application
to the position you seek. Don’t overestimate this specimen’s ability to
uncover your potential.

Intimidates Serious (Serious Intimidation)

Intimidates serious: Impeccably dressed, conservative; very neat and
organized; prefers expensive, classic furnishings; work-oriented; always on
time; demeanor is reserved, dedicated, and critical.
Approach these specimens quietly and seriously. Don’t scare them away with
chatter, false friendliness, or insincerity. Intimidates serious doesn’t go to
work to make friends, but to work — only work. So don’t waste time with
pleasantries; get right to the point as succinctly as possible.
Whatever you do, don’t let these specimens see your fear or intimidation.
They’ll kick you right out and race to the next interview.

Recruiters Professionals
(Professional Recruiter)

Recruiters professionals: Suave, professional, well dressed; demeanor
is quiet and confident, measuring.
These specimens spend their days interviewing people for specific companies.
Their goal is more to screen you out than in, as they narrow their list of applicants.
They won’t let you ask many questions, so concentrate on answering
their questions with as many specifics as possible about your skills, experience,
and accomplishments.
To get this specimen on your side, focus on presenting the best possible you.
Make sure that your appearance is impeccable and that your enthusiasm and
interest in the job shine forth. Answer confidently and communicate clearly.

Talkus Alotus (Person Talks a Lot)

Talkus alotus: Fashionable, often individualistic in dress; hoards sentimental
items like pictures or mementos; prefers clutter to order; often runs late;
demeanor is talkative and upbeat.
The talkus alotus enjoys company. These specimens gravitate toward busy
offices where they’re surrounded by many others. They like to talk and they
talk fast, so keep up.
Start by establishing a personal connection with these specimens. They probably
won’t pay much attention to you if they don’t like you, so work on creating
a friendly foundation by pasting a wide, sincere smile on your face and
exuding enthusiasm. Focus on keeping these specimens interested throughout
the interview — beware of boring them.

Technicians Strict us (Strictly
Technical Person)

Technicus strictus: No definite description; look for pencils, notepads, and
gadgets, like a pocket calculator or laptop computer; often found behind a
technical title, like accountant, marketing assistant, or chemical engineer;
demeanor is friendly but distant.
The technicus strictus doesn’t mix well with other species, so camouflage
yourself in the tools of your trade. Focus on your technical knowledge and
achievements. Get this specimen excited by discussing common interests in
your field.
These specimens usually have little interviewing experience, so make sure
that you discuss your skills in detail. Don’t assume that they will be able to