How to Fail an Interview

Headlines like this are typically spun into a "fail up" or "failure is an opportunity to succeed" or "it's only a failure if you don't get back up" pep talk.? The truth is there are very real pitfalls to avoid when interviewing and a pep talk isn’t always the best way to avoid them.

One of the easiest ways to talk your way out of an offer while you’re interviewing is -- talking.? ?

The best interview is when the other person does most of the talking.

Imagine you’re on a first date, and the person across the table from you spends the whole meal talking about every nuance of their life: their achievements, their aspirations, their flaws, their prior relationships.? Dessert comes, and they finally let you get a word in or ask you a question.? How would you feel?? How likely are you to want to go on a second date?

As much as we can be excited about our experience and want to share how perfect we are for a position, the firm has a list of questions they need to ask, and if they run out of time and can’t ask them, it’s as if you took a test and didn’t attempt half the questions.?

The best thing to do is a technique called salting.? Respond completely, but as succinctly as possible while leaving tantalizing bits for the interviewer to ask more about.? Adding a little bit of salt will leave them wanting more and makes you a compelling person they'll be eager to bring back for a second round.

Interviews are hard, and right now competition in the market is fierce, so make sure you are getting quality, thorough interview coaching by your recruiter so you can sidestep common interview failure points like this.

Happy interviewing!