The Fatal Job Interview Mistake You Won't Realize You're Making
Everywhere you look you see articles warning job-seekers about mistakes they can make on a job interview, like saying the wrong thing or giving an incomplete answer to a question.
It's easy to become so fearful of doing or saying the wrong thing at a job interview that you lose track of the bigger picture.
Here's the brutal truth: the biggest danger you face at a job interview is the danger of being forgotten altogether!
I was a corporate HR leader for ages. I used to walk around the building and ask the department managers "How did your interview with Melissa [or Xiao, Charles or Mohammed] go yesterday?"
Often they would say "It was fantastic! Melissa really understands e-commerce. I want to get her back in here as soon as possible to meet our VP."
However, many other times a department manager would say "What?"
ME: Your interview with Melissa -- how did it go?
MANAGER: Who, now?
ME: Melissa Sanchez -- about thirty years old, my height, curly black hair -- she had a green jacket on. She works at Acme Explosives. You don't remember her?
MANAGER: Honestly, I don't.
ME: You met with her for an hour yesterday. Carla from HR brought Melissa to your office. Carla said you told her that your brother broke his arm playing basketball. Is he okay?
MANAGER: He's fine -- just a little sore. I remember the conversation with Carla.
ME: Well, Melissa was standing right next to Carla when you had that conversation.
MANAGER: Oh, yeah, that's right! Honestly, Melissa left almost no impression on me. Now I remember -- green jacket. She sat there. Maybe she was nervous. She gave me three-word answers. I couldn't get anything out of her.
ME: Oh, what a shame! Melissa and I had such a great conversation last week. She was energized and bubbly and full of ideas then.
MANAGER: Well, I didn't scare her intentionally! You always get people to talk.
ME: Listen, we have way more intimidating managers than you around here. It's okay. I'll let Melissa know.
After a conversation like that I would have to call Melissa and explain that while it didn't look like there was a great match between her and the position she had interviewed for, we might have other positions coming up that would be a better fit.
I would also coach Melissa to ask a few friends to help her practice her interviewing skills so that she would come out of her shell a bit more in future interviews.
A lot of people have the same problem Melissa had. They disappear into the chair in a job interview. They think their assignment at a job interview is to answer the interviewer's questions "correctly."
There is no correct answer to a job interview question! Even if an interviewer scowls at your answer, that doesn't mean anything. They may change their mind overnight as they think about the soundness of your reasoning.
Your assignment at a job interview is not to please anyone, but to show your brain working. In the best case, you'll get to see your interviewer's brain working, too!
Way too many smart and capable people miss out on great job opportunities because they try so hard to play the part of the Good Little Sheepie Job Seeker. That approach will not help you, but will hurt you instead!
Not everybody will resonate with your personality, but so what? You wouldn't want to work for someone who doesn't get you, anyway.
Bring your full personality, your humor, your amazing story and your mojo to a job interview, every time!
Why play the part of a person who isn't you? The real you is a million times cooler, and won't be forgotten the way poor Melissa was!
Want to learn how to interview like a real person, and get the job? Join Liz Ryan and Molly Campbell in a FREE Webinar, "Get the Job Every Time -- Interview Secrets That Work" on July 27th! Register at the link below!
Sr Key Account Manager at Coldwell Banker India
7 年thats true Mr Nasim
Supervisor Administrativo
7 年https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/marcos-graciano-marques-902b5128?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
Principal Engineer - Artificial Intelligence at Optum | UnitedHealth Group
7 年This is a very well written article, a good Saturday read, however, I would disagree with almost all the points. I would also thank Liz that she took time to compile her perspective on this. Her experience shows that she has patience, tons of them. Just imagine you as a senior manager are talking to one of your colleagues about a serious event, hiring a new talent for your company, and having the (hopefully imaginary) conversation, “You: You don't remember her? Manager: Honestly, I don't.” If it is the case in any means in real life situation, anyone with reasonable experience would advise THE manager in question an "etiquette training," as well as investigate whether he is overwhelmed with duties that he cannot carry on anymore. If we take this article seriously, then I would say, (thinking of) suggesting the interviewee a training is utterly na?ve! As the same interviewee appeared before you (i.e., senior manager) as normal in the previous interview with her, how could you convince yourself that on the next round she was dull? Here comes the question about the quality of senior management, I am afraid. HR-managers have a wide range of opportunities to learn how to talk, how work, how to take interviews. The interviewees have only opportunity to become a domain expert. Well, they can learn a few things from other sources, or mock-up interviews with friends. But those are not rigorous with respect to the corporate training that HR-Managers receive. Even though Melissa [or Xiao, Charles or Mohammed] unfortunately did not get the job, they were punished for the inability of the hiring managers. As, we can see that the senior manager (i.e., Liz, for example) could easily see her potential in the previous interview. Now, if we cannot recognize the “culprit” in this today, certainly we would when we are more matured. Meanwhile, we would lose a lot of talents from coming to our companies. As an influencer, I (I think, we) would wait for Liz to write on this perspective too, one day, sooner than later.
The Vanilla Ice of the staffing industry. You got a problem, I'll solve it!
7 年I've found that some interviewers are so terrible at interviewing it's hard to get a conversation going. I once had an interview where a person told me how great he is and how good the organization is and said thank you. He asked me two questions. I had to stop the interviewer and start to talk about myself and fire back about how did x, y, z and how that would fit into your department.
Ware House controller
7 年Some times you can even pass the interview but you find that even the interviewer has their own people who are also looking for the same post finally you end up being not considered