Interviews can be monotonous in the long run and that can make the atmosphere dull. One might think that making a joke will lighten up the space. This is not a bad thing but saying aloud a joke will be complex. It’s not all white and black, good or bad. While some jokes are okay to be made in an interview, some are not.
In this piece, we will exactly discuss the kind of jokes that you can get by without costing you a rejection. You need to be able to gauge whether interviewers like the jokes or not. Some interviewers are okay with jokes. Some do not like jokes, you need to read the room before making the joke. Let’s know more about it.
Is It Okay to Joke In An Interview?
Yes, it is okay to joke in an interview. Infact, it is for the most part. But there are some topics that are very sensitive to people. You should not cross that line, crossing it can have consequences bigger than just losing the job.
How To Appropriately Use Humor in Interviews?
Humor can be tricky. You need to time it in such a manner that it makes your personality more pleasant. In interviews, humor can be a force of nature, especially in jobs where the emphasis is on communication. That can be a Sales Representative, Waitress, Front Office, and Anchors/Emcee.
Dos and Don’ts of Using Humor During a Job Interview
Before joking it’s very important to know How to pitch a joke and see if the interviewer liked it or not. These are some pointers to keep in mind when pitching a joke. You also need to know when not to use humor. As said excess and little of anything can have catastrophic results.
Do’s
- Go for the kill and joke if your job requires comic deliveries. Jobs such as anchors of corporate shows, emcee, and any job where it is required for you to be in front of a screen.
- Always read the room before pitching a joke.
- Try to gauge the atmosphere and see if the environment is appropriate for a joke. See interviewer’s responses. Wait patiently and when interviewers become friendly, land your joke.
- Try to see through the personas of interviewers. If the interviewer is trying to judge your EQ and the person himself is funny. You can throw in some good jokes. However, it’s better to use jokes relevant to work.
Don’ts
- Do not joke again if you see the interviewer is not acting friendly.
- Do not joke about race, discrimination, sexism, disadvantaged communities, or sexuality. That becomes an attack on someone’s rooted being.
- Being Humorous can lead people to become comfortable and open themselves up. You should not do it. Always keep in mind that it is still a job interview.
- Do not make jokes about interviewers during the interview.
List of Topics Candidates Shouldn’t Joke About in Interviews
There are certain terrains and territories within the boundaries of humor that you cannot cross.
- One such thing is joking about someone’s race, community, and sex. These things are personal and can have repercussions if violated. Now you may not only risk losing a job, but you might also land up in jail.
- Another sensitive theme is religion. Though in many developed nations religion is taken lightly and often separated from power authority. Religion is also the basis for people’s beliefs. Hence, joking about somebody’s personal beliefs is also a violation.
- Steer clear of all catholic, Mormon, jew, or Islam jokes. The bigger red flag is joking about the interviewer. If people act friendly we tend to lose control and perceive them as friends. But they are interviewers and they decide your fate whether you will get the job. In case they find you disrespecting them, they will simply reject you.
Self-Deprecating Humor In An Interview
It is well known to the world that a person who can laugh at themselves is very confident. If someone wants to be humorous in an interview self-deprecating themselves is the best to do. But remember to only deprecate yourself, not your work.
If you lose that edge in balancing these two distinct things you will be deemed as non-proficient as opposed to confident. So trade your cards wisely and try to walk the delicate rope of being humorous and not losing the edge once and for all.
Humorous Responses To “How Are You?”
How are you? Seems like a generous question ain’t it? But to have a witty response can lighten the mood for everyone. You can focus on these aspects of humor when curating a response, How are you?
Some Common Jokes
- “Come, Come Here is our accounting department, where everyone counts.”
- “What will someone term when trial balance does not tally? A late night”
- “Economists are more often the people who failed their accountancy class.”
- “The main difference between a Lawyer and an Accountant, the accountant knows and accepts, he is boring.”
- “Title of an accountant with an opinion, and that is Auditor.”
- “Where does a homeless accountant live? In a Tax Shelter.”
Jokes for Workplace Stress
If you are reading this write-up that means you are a humorous person. If in case you get this job here are some jokes that you can land when the atmosphere becomes stressed.
- “My memory is so bad, I forgot if I’m employed. I know for a fact I am but don’t know where?”
- I went to a yoga teacher and asked “Can you teach me yoga?” He replied, “Are you Flexible?” I said, “I can’t make it on Weekends!.”
- When you fill out an employment application form, you often are asked whom to call in case of an emergency. I always reply “None other than a Doctor.”
- “Teamwork is great, even if you mess up everyone is to be blamed.”
- “I am so great at multitasking. I can sit ideally, do nothing and also keep quiet, all things at once.”
- “My resume is perfect. It is nicely organized with a lot of skills that I hope any recruiter won’t ask me to do.”
- “Oops, can you see that my annual report states, I lack passion and integrity? Well, Boss hasn’t seen me eating a KFC bucket.”
- “I am so good at adding artificial sweeteners. I do it every time while replying to all the achievements our boss has achieved.”
Final Say
Humor is a sensitive topic for many. You need to know How to use humor in your interviews. Single statements can make and break your chance of bagging a good job. So it’s important to know all the Dos and Don’ts of adding humor in an interview. This write-up covers a lot of these queries. It also gives you examples of How to give Humorous replies to simple questions like, “How are you?’
