Feedback: More energy/drive - how to improve that?

Here are a couple of suggestions:

#1 Practice showing more energy in front of a mirror

This is feedback I implement before I am speaking and/or interviews.  I have somewhat of a story and/or script of what I am practicing and I will do it in front of a mirror.  What I do instead of just speaking, however, is literally scream the content.  I try to go way over the top so that when I am in the real-life scenario and I naturally slow down (we all do this when with other people), I still have some of that increased energy from practice.

#2 Find things you really are interested in

This may seem like a no-brainer but most people I have met trying to break into a consulting firm have spent so much time trying to break into institutions, get good grades and try to mold themselves into others that they tend to be pretty shallow in their interests.  So when they are interviewing they offer vague ideas ("I want to work with social impact companies", "I'm passionate about fixing health care.").  These are great idea but everyone is on board with these already and  you probably aren't as fired up as you'd like.

So how do you get the type of interests such that you naturally show that energy/drive AND make the interviewer want to learn from you?  This is hard, but some suggestions:

• Think about the last time you lost track of time.  What were you doing?  Why does it matter to you?
• What is something people come to you for that you actually like doing?
• What is something that you've told people you're interested in but haven't actually pursued.

Now take an inventory of some of those things and start seeing how you might be able to share some of these during your interview and how it might relate to the work the firm is doing.  For consulting, the firms do such a wide variety of work that you should be able to find something.  In terms of the things you haven't pursued, challenge yourself to read an actual book about the subject (hint: ask 3-4 people in that field "what is the book everyone should read but doesn't).

These are a couple ideas - I hope they help!

Hey, 

my first question would be: Do you, yourself feel less energetic / having drive in those interview or is it "only" a matter of how you come across? 

In the first case I'd question, if consulting aka the job you are applying for really what you want? If you are not excitied in the application phase it might get even harder, when ou are in your day-to-day job. 

In teh latter case, I personally would advise you to address this "issue" or misconception. I am not a fan of trying to be someone different or behave counter your personality just in order to get a job. In the end you don't want to work in a place where you have to pretand to be different than you are (my opinion) 

You describe yourself as a calm person which totally can be a plus, especially when you stay like that in stressful situation. If you got the feedback of apperaing to have too little drive and energy you might wanna share that you are more on the calm side and this sometimes might appear as if you would be less energetic but in fact is your way to focus and concentrate (or something like that). 

Hope taht helps or at least gives you some ideas how you could approach your next interviews. 

Best, 
Isabel

I got the same feedback long ago, and was given the following piece of advice that's probably appropriate for every calm and composed person: try to sound very excited about something, more than you think would be appropriate. Odds are, you will appear perfectly normal to your interviewer. You can always record yourself on your phone during a mock interview; I bet you will look at your self and think "that person looks good, I wish I could be him/her"

PS: For anyone else reading - if you are naturally excited, expansive, very extroverted... please disregard the part about forcing yourself to be even wilder :)

He there,

Well, what is an interview for you? And what is an interview for an interviewer? I will tell you the second part of the question & you need to come up with the 1st one by yourself. 

As a company-representative my main task is to get people who believe they're good. People, who believe they can bring more than their cost. People, who provide me a single point of view that from the 1st moment they will be working as devils to make things done. And bring the best result. Do you really want it?

Well, you can say I am exacerbating -- nauh. In fact, I want to see you so excited that you're ready to jump right now, "straight from the Hampton". If you don't have this feeling - forget about your consulting career (as a consultant track participant). You definitely can become an expert, but what the hell - there is an army of those, who are like you, yet more excited. It's really a must quality to demonstrate. Otherwise, even if you get there, you'll going to be burned out quickly, which is not good both for you and the firm, where you apply.