Use examples and tell stories

One time people struggle to avoid sounding arrogant at interview is when they’re trying to match their qualities to ones required for a job. Let’s say a job requires a "good team player and a natural leader", you can’t just say "I’m a good team player and a natural leader" as that’s an obvious boulevard to arrogance city! One way around this is describing your experiences in such a way that it becomes obvious you have the required skills without you having to overtly say them in an arrogant manner. Telling short (and I emphasise short!) stories of your experiences are a perfect way of showing your credentials – in the above example, explaining how you were forced to manage a team of volunteers in your manager’s absence would not only demonstrate team play and leadership qualities, but also shows adaptability and a cool head. And all of this without you having to be arrogant and tell them!

The difference between arrogance and confidence at interview can sometimes seem minute, and much of it all in the perceptions of an individual, but if you follow these tips, it should be difficult for even the most critical person to write you off as an arrogant trouble maker!

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