Passion and Likeability: The Two Hidden Weapons of a Successful Job Search

Inspire Careers Spotlight Series

What’s the secret to standing out in a competitive job market? Is it the perfect resume, years of experience, or knowing the right people? While those help, two overlooked factors can make all the difference: passion and likeability - what employers look for beyond skills.

In this episode, I’ll explain how these two qualities can transform your job search and career. I start with a common mistake: overusing the word passionate in your resume. It’s everywhere, but does it actually mean anything? More importantly, how do you show passion instead of just saying it? I’ll also share what it truly means to be passionate about your work and how to demonstrate that enthusiasm in your resume, LinkedIn profile and during an interview.

But passion alone isn’t enough. Likeability plays a huge role in getting hired and excelling in the workplace - which is why you’ll hear me talking about why being likeable matters, how to make a strong first impression in your job search, and what you can do to win people over in an interview. So, expect to get job interview likeability tips. Plus, I’ll let you know how to do a simple test to check if you're as likeable as you think.

If you’re ready to land your next role with confidence, tune in for these job search success strategies and practical tips that can set you apart from the crowd.

🎧 Listen now and start making these hidden weapons work for you.

Timestamps:

00:44 Overuse of the word passionate in resumes

02:11 What does it mean to be passionate about your work?

03:11 How to show passion for work in your resume

07:44 Demonstrating passion at an interview

10:10 Likeability at work

12:49 Being likeable during a job search - the first thing to do

15:23 How to win people over in a job interview

18:21 Are you likeable enough? Here’s how to check

Key Links and Resources:

Inspire Careers

Inspire Careers on LinkedIn and Instagram

Cathy Lanzalaco on LinkedIn and Twitter

Stan Miller - Storicate