--- title: How To Ace a Job Interview: 7 Research-Backed Tips description: 1) Be Similar to The Interviewer “Be yourself” can actually be a problem. If you want to know how to ace a job interview it’s... canonical: https://time.com/68302/how-to-ace-a-job-interview-7-research-backed-tips/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-04-21T04:01:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:53:59.049Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How To Ace a Job Interview: 7 Research-Backed Tips og:description: 1) Be Similar to The Interviewer “Be yourself” can actually be a problem. If you want to know how to ace a job interview it’s... og:url: https://time.com/68302/how-to-ace-a-job-interview-7-research-backed-tips/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6fd9477422320d44/69868b4a55a8597263a8061e/468839463.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4979 og:image:height: 2801 og:image:alt: How To Ace A Job Interview: 7 Research-Backed Tips og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How To Ace a Job Interview: 7 Research-Backed Tips twitter:description: 1) Be Similar to The Interviewer “Be yourself” can actually be a problem. If you want to know how to ace a job interview it’s... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6fd9477422320d44/69868b4a55a8597263a8061e/468839463.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How To Ace a Job Interview: 7 Research-Backed Tips > Sponsored content. 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Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Apr 21, 2014 4:01 AM UTC  Business people sitting in waiting area Business people sitting in waiting area Chris Ryan—Getty Images/Caiaimage by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Apr 21, 2014 4:01 AM UTC ## **1) Be Similar to The Interviewer** “Be yourself” can actually be a problem. If you want to know how to ace a job interview it’s important to note that [study after study](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/whats-the-key-to-being-liked-and-being-more-i/) shows the key to being liked and being more influential is similarity. Research shows you can take advantage of this by researching the interviewer and coming across [as similar to them](http://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/hirable%5Flike%5Fme): --- > “” --- No lies are necessary. Think attitude. Do they come across as aggressive and hard-charging or calm and passive? Do they come across as cultured or school of hard knocks? ## **2) Timing Matters** You might not have much control over this but make an effort to manipulate the timing to your advantage. **Research shows interviews go better when:** * **They’re** [**earlier in the day**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/is-it-best-to-have-job-interviews-early-in-th/)**.** * **The** [**weather is good**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/01/do-we-perform-better-during-interviews-on-sun/)**.** * **And when you’re** **not** **interviewed on the same day** [**as your strongest competition**](http://www.eurekalert.org/pub%5Freleases/2013-01/afps-wta011713.php)**.** ## **3) Frame the Conversation** First impressions matter [even more than you think](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-first-impressions-really-that-big-a-deal). And once they’re set, they are [very hard to resist](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-we-a-slave-to-our-first-impressions). Mastering first impressions is a key part of learning how to ace a job interview. Research shows they’re [the most important part](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-most-important-part-of-a-job-interv) of any job interview: --- > “” --- Optimize first impressions from the outset by framing the conversation with a few well-rehearsed sentences regarding how you want to be perceived. [This will end up being the structure the other person forms their memories around](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/07/is-there-a-way-to-strategically-optimize-firs/). Via [Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416596178/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1416596178): --- > “” --- [Persuasion expert Robert Cialdini](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/robert-cialdini-influence/), author of the classic book, [Influence](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006124189X/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=006124189X&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20), slyly recommends [asking them why they thought you might be good for the role](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/02/a-great-persuasion-technique-to-use-during-a/). After people make positive public statements about you they will subconsciously feel the need to not contradict them. ## **4) Feel Powerful** People who felt powerful before going in to an interview [performed better](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002210311300036X): --- > “” --- As I’ve posted before, [“fake it ’til you make it” _works_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/03/fake-it-until-you-make-it/). How can you make sure you feel powerful? Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy recommends doing a “power pose” in private [before the interview](http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/28/opinion/cuddy-power-posing/index.html): --- > “” --- **Try power poses in the elevator, a bathroom stall, the stairwell…wherever you can find two minutes of privacy.** Does striking poses in the bathroom sound silly to you? Don’t laugh — it [works](http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/9547823/13-027.pdf): --- > “” --- What type of people naturally know how to ace a job interview? [Narcissists](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/04/what-bad-personality-trait-is-very-good-in-a/). Now you don’t want to be overbearing but better to toot your own horn than to have it go untooted: --- > “” --- ## **5) Have a Strong Handshake** Your handshake matters a lot more than you might think. Via [The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591844568/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591844568): --- > “” --- And it’s correlated [with getting an offer](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2010/01/how-much-does-a-firm-handshake-matter-during/): --- > “” --- ## **6) Know the Right Questions To Ask** Many people struggle with that moment in most interviews where they ask “Do you have any questions for us?” This is not only a good time to get information but it’s a great time to impress them with an insightful question. [Quora](http://www.quora.com/What-should-one-say-when-the-interviewer-asks-Do-you-have-any-questions-for-me) and [Inc](http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/5-questions-great-job-candidates-ask-interviewers.html) offer a few winners: * **_Thinking back to people who have been in this position previously, what differentiated the ones who were good from the ones who were really great?_** * **_How would you describe the culture of the company?_** * **_What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?_** ## **7) Know How To Negotiate Salary** I’ve posted a lot of research about [effective negotiating](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/the-last-damn-thing-youll-ever-need-to-read-a-8759/) including my interviews with [Robert Cialdini](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/robert-cialdini-influence/) and [FBI hostage negotiators](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/hostage-negotiation/). But what’s the thing Harvard’s MBA school says is most important for landing a big offer? **_“They need to like you.”_** About 3:30 into the video below: --- > “” --- **Next Steps** **To learn more about how to ace a job interview, click the one you need more help with:** * [Increasing charisma](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/02/checklist-5-charismatic/). * [“Clicking” with people.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/5-secrets-clicking-people/) * [Mastering conversation](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/conversation-skills/). * [Improving your negotiation skills.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/hostage-negotiation/) **Join 45K+ readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). _This piece originally appeared on_ [_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/68302/how-to-ace-a-job-interview-7-research-backed-tips/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/68302/how-to-ace-a-job-interview-7-research-backed-tips/"},"headline":"How To Ace a Job Interview: 7 Research-Backed Tips","datePublished":"2014-04-21T04:01:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:53:59.049Z","description":"1) Be Similar to The Interviewer “Be yourself” can actually be a problem. 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