A simple trick to help you succeed at the interview

Getting the job you want can be a difficult and nerve-wracking process. Often, candidates want to show the employer that they are qualified and motivated, but there is a danger of appearing arrogant or overconfident.

According to a new study, humor can be an effective way to achieve this balance. The study, published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, found that candidates who used humor in their resumes and interviews were perceived as more competent and attractive than those who did not use humor.

The researchers created two fictional resumes that were identical in every way except that one contained a bit of humor and the other was standard. The two resumes were sent to 345 companies, and the researchers gauged the level of interest in their hypothetical candidates through website visits and recruiter contacts.

A resume that included a witty thought: "The more coffee you can offer, the more products I'll make," received three times as many responses as a resume without humor.

In the next part of the study, the researchers asked volunteers to pretend to be managers of a restaurant that would hire a pastry chef and gave them two interview transcripts to evaluate. Again, one had a few humorous comments added, and the other was a simple summary of the candidate's experience.

The candidate who boasted about humor was perceived as warmer and more competent, and the evaluators were more likely to offer this hypothetical person a job.

The authors of the study note that it is important to use humor with caution. Humor should be appropriate for the situation and should not be offensive.

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