After many years of sitting in on many auditions and interviews, I understand that most people do not know how to stand out in a crowd. It’s like they’re all wearing orange at a Denver Broncos game. On days where I’ve witnessed 20-30 people going in and out of a room, often only a handful stick in my mind at all.
Most of us don’t have the blessing of being odd looking or the curse of good looks. For the average person, we make a huge mistake by not picking something to make us stand out.
Some effective ways to stand out include: growing a really impressive beard, wearing an obnoxious flower in our lapel, or thinking we can pull off an orange suit.
Another way to try to be memorable is to work on your entrance or exit. Have you considered playing entrance music? What would happen if you blew kisses to the people interviewing you? Don’t walk out of a room, but instead sprint!
Okay, those things will probably not win you the interview.
What are other red flags? Do not insult the person interviewing you. Do not brag about going to jail. In an audition, do not accidentally break your scene partner’s nose, or get nervous and run out of the room crying.
I was just on an interview panel where we concluded by asking the person if she had any questions for us. She proceeded to make her way around the room and ask each of us a personal question based on our introductions. What a great way to show empathy and compassion!
Best Practices
Come up with a sales pitch that sticks. When people discuss you later, you want them to say, “He was the llama herder!”
The best interviews are the authentic ones. Do you want someone to hire you because you act like someone you’re not? Talk about a great way to make your boss fire you when you show up to your first day and he thinks you’re someone else. Play up your true strengths.
Remember, anyone who is interviewing you wants you to be great. Beat their expectations and make yourself memorable. A disastrous interview makes a good story, but a great interview could result in a job.