Friendliness Could Actually Lose You the Job If You Interview In These States

The job search is always tough, but there are even more obstacles when moving into a new region. Each area of the U.S. has its own preferences and biases when it comes to hiring — and they can impact women, especially. If you go into the job search without knowing what these unique preferences are, it will be a lot harder to succeed.

The results showed interesting differences between various regions of the country. By understanding what hiring professionals from different areas are looking for, you can better prepare for the job search.

Let’s look at four different regions of the U.S. and how some of their preferences might affect where you look for a new job:

Hiring professionals from the Northeast were the least likely to list friendliness as a hiring priority. Just 37.21 percent said candidates who are friendly stand out to them. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be polite or relatable during the job interview. Rather, it means you need to focus on highlighting your skills when applying for a job in this region instead.

For example, if the interviewer asks you about your personal hobbies, find a way to tie that activity back to your professional skill set. Then your interviewer can get to know you as a person but also see how you’re right for the job.

Remember, when you’re discussing your professional experience, come equipped with numbers. Showing real data will support what you say about your skills and abilities. Some good facts to bring to a job interview in the Northeast:

The South was the only region that had confidence in its list of the top hiring traits. Fifty percent of these respondents said this quality was important to them.

If you’re going into an interview in the South, take the time to talk yourself up. Before you go into the meeting, make a list of all your positive qualities. Recognizing all you have to offer will help you walk into the interview with your head held high.

Some other tricks to try are standing up straight and being mindful of your hand gestures and eye contact. Even if you’re nervous, good posture will make you appear more confident. This will encourage them to take your responses seriously and perceive you as more professional.

The Midwest is known for being friendly and polite. Unsurprisingly, hiring professionals from this region look for these qualities when interviewing candidates. The top priority was professionalism for 76.32 percent of Midwestern respondents. This was more than any other region.

It was also more likely than other areas to list friendliness. The Midwesterners were the only group to have that trait in their top three, with 46.71 percent selecting it.

Hiring managers in the West were most likely to look for leadership ability when interviewing candidates. For these respondents, 46.03 percent said it was a top priority.

When looking for a job in this region, make sure you highlight your leadership skills. Prepare examples of teams you’ve led in the past and how you were successful.