Tips for a Better Interview

I have interviewed a lot of people over the years and I have done my fair share of interviewing as well. Here are ten things you should avoid doing while interviewing for that next great job.

NEVER:

1. Come to the interview unprepared. Interviewing takes work. Before showing up at the front door, make sure you have done your homework. Research the company online. The internet is a resource that will provide you with information on how a company wants to be perceived and what it is really like working there. Blogs often reveal the latter. Come armed with intelligent, relevant questions about the job and the company.

2. Talk more than listen. Many job seekers think they need to fill space with noise. Talk, talk, talk. Don’t be too detailed in your response to a question, unless the hiring manager starts to drill down. Most of the time, the interviewer is looking for a particular, specific answer. It is your job to figure out what he is looking for and produce the correct answer. But only answer the question if you can. Don’t lie - don’t even fudge a little.

3. Listen more than talk. Don’t give two sentence, pithy responses either. Listen to the question and quickly determine what it is the interviewer is trying to learn about you. Then share this information concisely but with enough detail to answer the question. This is tough. Your listening kills must be well tuned and you need to think fast. You must get inside the head of the person sitting across from you. Remember, the hiring manager is trying to figure out in an insanely short time whether you are the person for the job. Everything you say or do not say will count for or against you.

4. Assume that the interview is going well. One of my goals when I interview someone is to put them at ease as early in the interview as possible. Once I have someone who has lost much of the nervousness that typical and expected in the interview, I will begin to receive “real” answers to my questions. Unfortunately for some, when they feel more comfortable, they start to expose more weaknesses. For others, it helps them hit a home run.

5. Assume the interview is going poorly. Even if your voice has had a slight quiver for most of the interview, you should never assume anything. If you start to think you are not connecting with the interviewer, you will probably make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you feel the first part of the interview was not the best, make the next part even better. Don’t give up while you are interviewing no matter how terrible you think things are going. I have seen people recover nicely from a slow or awkward start.

6. Decide the job is not for you and finish the interview poorly. Even if you know the hiring manager would be hell to work for, or that the job is not what advertised, finish the interview professionally and with the same level of enthusiasm if it were your dream job. You may be back at that company interviewing for another job. Managers talk. If you came off arrogant or disinterested to one manager and interview with his colleague months later, that information is sometimes shared. Always give it your best. It is the same principal as never burning a bridge.

7. Avoid the tough questions. When I interview, I ask a series of behavioral type questions that get progressively tougher to answer. When I get to the last several questions, I am asking questions that require a great deal of self-awareness on the part of the potential candidate. Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses in a positive way. For example, you could say “I was part of the team’s failure on project X, but I learned more from that project than any other project I worked on. I learned that I wasn’t listening as closely to the customer as I should have been. Since then, I have implemented a new process that helps document exactly what the customer is saying.” The formula is simple.

a) Admit a failure
b) Talk about what you learned
c) Give examples on how you have improved

8. Oversell yourself. The last thing the hiring manager wants is “the used car salesman” approach. If you are good, you need to say less. If you are great at what you do, you should have precise answers that demonstrate you abilities, confidence and strong interpersonal skills.

9. Undersell yourself. If you do not think the interviewer has tapped into your potential, make your responses stronger with more examples. When I interview, I do not want someone to give me theory, I want specific examples of when, how, why, etc. I need to know that the interviewee has true experience.

10. Try to be someone you are not. For the most part, when I counsel someone on how they should interview, I tell them to be natural. If you are naturally hyper, then I would tell you to tone it down a bit, but not all the way. You never want to misrepresent yourself. The last thing I want to find out after I have hired someone is that his seemingly collaborative spirit was a facade and he is actually a control freak.

It is difficult for both parties in an interview. It should be your goal to make it easier for all.