2 Research-Backed Traits Data Scientists Need to Ace Interviews and Land 50% More Job Offers (Prompt Included)
(Even if you believe your technical skills are enough on their own…)
Why do some interviewers immediately warm up to you, while others seem hesitant?
In an ideal scenario, you’d want potential employers so excited about you as a candidate that they’re sharing your resume with colleagues and talking about how you’d be a great fit for their team. And the same goes for project presentations. Making a strong first impression during interviews or presentations is key to getting there.
Here’s the deal: Research shows that 82% of our impressions of people are based on two traits—warmth and competence.
These insights come from Vanessa Van Edwards, a behavioral investigator who studies how we connect with others. She found that warmth and competence are the foundation of how people build trust.
Some of the best mentors and teachers I’ve had?
They didn’t just know their stuff. They also made me feel understood and supported. That combination of warmth and competence is what helped me trust their guidance.
And that’s exactly what we should aim to do during interviews.
Don’t worry—this isn’t hard to pull off once you know how.
(Bonus: I’ve included a framework to help you communicate warmth and competence effectively during interviews!)
Here’s a simple three-step framework to help you shine during interviews and presentations, without sacrificing any of your technical expertise.
3 Steps to Use Warmth and Competence to Ace Data Science Interviews
Let’s break it down into three steps to build trust with interviewers and land the job.
Step 1: Lead with Warmth
Before showcasing your skills, interviewers want to know you’re approachable and understand their needs.
No one will feel comfortable with your technical insights if they don’t think you understand their problem first. Start by showing genuine interest in the role, the team, and their challenges. Ask questions about the company’s data challenges, but also try to get a sense of the team’s dynamics. What’s the company’s culture? What projects excite them most?
Pro Tip: Smile and maintain friendly eye contact (yes, even virtually!). Studies show that a genuine smile can make people feel at ease.
This applies to technical presentations as well. Before diving into code or algorithms, ask the audience how familiar they are with the subject or what outcomes they hope to achieve. It shows you care about them, not just about the technical details.
Step 2: Showcase Your Expertise
Once you’ve built warmth, it’s time to show what you know. Demonstrate your technical skills in a way that’s clear and relatable.
Explain how your past projects can help them achieve their goals. Use real-world examples, but avoid getting bogged down in technical jargon right away. The goal is to be understood, not to overwhelm them.
A key mistake to avoid: Don’t lead with competence alone. If you jump straight into explaining algorithms and models before showing warmth, you might lose your audience. They need to feel you’re relatable first.
When answering technical questions, start with something like, “That’s a great question!” or “I’m glad you’re curious about this topic.” Then, clearly explain the solution, making it as engaging as possible.
Step 3: Align Your Body Language and Tone with Both Warmth and Competence
Body language is key—whether in person or on video.
Keep your hands visible and your posture open—this signals both trust and confidence. Avoid crossing your arms or appearing too stiff. You want to strike a balance between approachable and professional.
When speaking, maintain a calm, assured tone. You can even add a little enthusiasm when discussing topics you’re passionate about. Keep the tone warm and friendly, not robotic.
In virtual interviews or presentations, don’t hesitate to use a bit of humor or an appropriate emoji in follow-up messages. It makes your response feel human and approachable while maintaining professionalism.
By following these steps, you’ll build trust, respect, and rapport with your interviewer—whether you're in person, on video, or even via follow-up emails.
Picture this: You’re in a data science interview and the hiring manager seems a bit reserved.
Instead of jumping right into your technical skills, you ask about their current data challenges and goals for the team. You notice them start to relax.
Then, you relate a previous project to one of their challenges, explaining how your solution improved performance without getting too technical right away.
By the end of the conversation, they’re excited—not just because of your technical ability, but because they trust you as a person.
That’s the power of combining warmth and competence.
Why This Framework Works
So why is this warmth and competence combo so effective? It’s rooted in psychology.
Vanessa Van Edwards’ research shows that people evaluate others based on these two traits. Balancing warmth and competence helps you connect with interviewers on a deeper level while demonstrating your expertise.
Reason 1: Warmth Instantly Builds Trust
Warmth is about making people feel understood and valued. When interviewers feel like you get them, they’re much more likely to trust your technical recommendations.
What to do: Lead with empathy. Take the time to understand their challenges before jumping into solutions.
Reason 2: Competence Keeps Interviewers Engaged
While warmth opens the door, competence is what keeps interviewers excited to continue the conversation.
Interviewers need to know that you’re not just friendly—you’re the skilled professional they need to solve their problems.
Your answers should be clear and concise. Avoid rambling or overcomplicating your explanations. The goal is to be relatable, confident, and technically sound.
Reason 3: Body Language and Tone Reinforce Both
Body language in interviews can make or break the impression you leave.
Open, positive body language—like keeping your hands visible and smiling—signals both warmth and competence. On the other hand, a stiff or closed-off posture can send the wrong message, no matter how good your technical skills are.
Likewise, your tone in follow-up emails or messages should remain professional, warm, and personable.
Bonus: Warm and Competent Message Framework for Interview Follow-ups
Here is how to use it:
Copy-paste the prompt and press enter.
Write your message as an input
The prompt rewrites your message to make it more compelling by adding signals of warmth and competence!
You are tasked with rewriting a given message to convey both warmth and competence, with the goal of enhancing the tone and content to reflect friendliness, empathy, and technical expertise.
Guidelines for rewriting:
Maintain the core message and intent of the original text. Ensure the technical point or instruction is clear while remaining approachable.
Example: "Here’s my suggestion for improving your data pipeline." Use a warm and friendly tone to build rapport.
Example: "I’m really impressed with the insights you’ve shared so far. Let’s explore a few ways to enhance the data pipeline together."
Demonstrate competence by being clear, concise, and knowledgeable.
Example: "This solution has worked effectively for similar projects, and I’m confident it will address the issues we discussed."
Add personal touches or empathetic statements where appropriate.
Example: "I know data projects can feel complex, but I’m here to guide you step by step."
Use positive, encouraging language to build trust.
Example: Instead of “Don’t worry, this won’t break,” say “I’ve run multiple tests, and this approach is stable and efficient."
Keep the message professional and appropriate for the context.
Example: "I’ll keep monitoring the model’s performance and adjust as needed to ensure you meet your goals."
Warmth Phrases:
"How are things going with your project?"
"I’ve been thinking about our discussion."
"Just checking in—how do you feel about the approach?"
"Your progress has been fantastic."
"Let me know how I can support you."
"You’ve got this!"
"I’m really impressed with your work so far."
Competence Phrases:
"Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how we can optimize this model."
"Based on my experience, this technique is highly effective for similar challenges."
"This is a proven method I’ve used in past projects."
"Let me walk you through the process."
"I’m confident this solution will meet the project’s requirements."
"I’ll keep a close eye on performance metrics."
"If adjustments are needed, I’ll make sure we stay on track."
Instructions:
Analyze the original message, considering its context, tone, and purpose. Rewrite the message following the guidelines above to show both warmth and competence by incorporating the specific examples from the list.
Format:
<rewritten_message>
[Insert your rewritten message here using phrases like "Your progress has been fantastic" or "Let me walk you through the process."]
</rewritten_message>
<explanation> [Briefly explain how you added warmth, with phrases like "You’ve got this!" and demonstrated competence with statements like "I’m confident this solution will meet the project’s requirements."] </explanation>
Takeaway
At the end of the day, acing a data science interview or a presentation isn’t just about being the most technically skilled candidate. It’s about building relationships based on trust. That trust? It comes from mastering warmth and competence.
Do this, and you’ll have interviewers who trust you, respect your expertise, and want you on their team.
Until next time,
