Can your dog land you the job?

I was one of the last 3 potential candidates for a position at a prestigious non-profit. Human resources had vetted my application and verified my experience. It was down to the final interview with the top level of board members before they made a final decision.

They asked me to come in and meet with them. All the applicants were to prepare a presentation of past work and showcase ideas for the future of their organization. I was fairly confident I had the most experience in the arena I was applying for and organized my ideas with an innovative and professional approach.

When I got to the interview the president was still engaged in a previous appointment so I had a few moment s with the board to chit chat before he arrived. I didn’t want to delve too deeply into things I would have to repeat so I tried to balance small talk with set up time. I mentioned that I had recently adopted a Boston terrier and the entire room erupted with laughter.

It turned out that three other people on the board all had Boston terriers. It gave me an instant connection and endeared them to me before I even started presenting. I was confident and relaxed and there was a friendly familiar air in the room.

When I got home I sent a thank you email to everyone I’d met and included a picture of my dog to which I received several responses. One board member even replied with a picture of her pooch. They told me that I was their first choice for the position but in the end it wasn’t the right time for me to change companies.

So did my dog get me the job? Not necessarily but opening up a dialogue and connecting to my audience didn’t hurt. Applicants with common interests will likely fit better into the team. Discussing hobbies and interests, especially ones that relate to your possible employment gives you depth beyond work and school experience. Make sure to keep the topics light though. Delving into technical talk or divulging too much about children can be a turn off. Dogs, sports, and travel are safer subjects.

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By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a writer and blogger for Beyond.com. She researches and writes about job search tactics, training, and topics.