Explain impression management and discuss which impression management techniques are most effective in an interview

What will be an ideal response?

The process by which individuals attempt to control the impression others form of them is called impression management (IM). Some IM techniques work better in interviews than others. Researchers have compared applicants whose IM techniques focused on promoting their accomplishments (self-promotion) to those who focused on complimenting the interviewer and finding areas of agreement (ingratiation). In general, applicants appear to use self-promotion more than ingratiation. What's more, self-promotion tactics may be more important to interview success. Applicants who work to create an appearance of competence by enhancing their accomplishments, taking credit for successes, and explaining away failures do better in interviews. These effects reach beyond the interview: applicants who use more self-promotion tactics also seem to get more follow-up job-site visits, even after adjusting for grade-point average, gender, and job type. Ingratiation also works well in interviews: applicants who compliment the interviewer, agree with his or her opinions, and emphasize areas of fit do better than those who don't.