Why you should practice your laugh before an interview

I have spoken in the past about the need for preparation ahead of an interview - think of questions that might come up, form some initial answers, and be sure to research the company before going in for the interview.  So you may ask - why in the world should you practice laughing before what could be a very serious and challenging interview?

I can think of plenty of reasons, but there are really a few that are most relevant if you really try to break it down.  This thought for a blog about laughing all came about when my family sat down for our weekly viewing of America's Funniest Videos.  I was upstairs getting the popcorn ready when I heard raucous laughter coming from our basement.  I feared they had started without me and seen a really classic clip already.  I raced downstairs only to see the DVR still paused and nothing happening.  Meanwhile my wife and children are rolling around on the floor in hysterical laughter.  Turns out they were "practicing" their laughter to get warmed up for the show.

They were immediately in a good mood and expecting the show to be hilarious.  Almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Which brings me to my first point about practicing your laugh before an interview.  If you think going in that it is going to be an enjoyable experience, I argue you have already increased your chances of that happening.  Think of the opposite thought - if you are nervous and anxious going into the interview, so much that it impacts your ability to coherently outline your professional experience, do you think there is a chance you might come across as nervous?  Instead why not walk into the room with a smile on your face?

Secondly, a good laugh can always break the ice.  I once had a meeting with a very important client and I was scheduled to sit down with the hiring manager who was known to be incredibly serious and dare I say occasionally grumpy.  It happened to be a Wednesday, so I asked my HR contact before the hiring manager arrived if she had seen the Geico hump day commercial with the camel walking through an office.  Which at the time had recently aired for the first time.  She started laughing and said it was her favorite new commercial.  The hiring manager came in while we were in the midst of our laughter, and we shared the story briefly with him.  He admitted to having just seen in the night before and said it was the funniest commercial he had ever seen.  We jumped right into a very productive meeting with a smile on our face.

Lastly, a good laugh can be memorable.  When interviewing for a position where you might have significant competition, being memorable is necessary.  I am certainly not suggesting an out of control hyena laugh, as that would create a bad memory.  Having a genuine, heartfelt, really solid laugh could be something that could put you over the edge.  Am I stretching things a little here?  Absolutely.  A good laugh alone will not get you hired.

The bottom line is that you need every edge you can get out there in a competitive job market.  If not a laugh it could simply be your smile.  Or your posture.  Or being articulate.  Or prepared.  Or well dressed.  The list could go on and on and on.  So I challenge you to think outside of the box when considering how to prepare for an interview.  And if laughter some day gets you the job, I want to know about it!