Quit Failing Job Interviews Because of This Avoidable Mistake

Have you noticed that some people ramble and are hard to follow when they speak? That’s because they don’t have a plan, so to speak, and they throw ideas at you in a stream-of-consciousness fashion. Nobody likes that. Presenting the information following a structure helps you convey a clear and complete message, which is something you definitely want to do at a job interview. Keep reading to see what the common problems are, what recruiters want to see, and the structure you can use to organize the information in the clearest way possible.?

Common problems

Here is something that may sound surprising, but sadly, it’s not: Most people don’t know how to explain what they do. When asked a simple question like what do you do? most give an answer that, actually, leaves more questions than answers. Let’s see why.

When asked the question what do you do, people tend to do one of the following:

• Naming some of the activities they do the most. For example, a software developer would answer "I program in Java".
• Explaining in great detail a software solution that they are designing and implementing, but without any type of context.

In the first case, the answer is too short and leaves the listener wanting to know more, and in the second, the answer is too specific, and leaves the listener missing the big picture. That is what happens most of the time: people give a super specific response explaining a task they do with plenty of complex details, without presenting holistic information to put this in context, which would help? the listener understand. The result? A confused listener.

Has it ever happened to you that someone tells you something and asks you a question, and you don't understand what they are talking about? It is as if? the other person has already started the conversation in their head, but began talking to you halfway through. That is what often happens in conversation, and it leads to an unsuccessful exchange. You may get the other person wondering: if you can’t organize your message well, what other things can’t you organize? which might convey a negative idea of you and what you can do at work.

What the recruiter wants to see

Imagine you are a recruiter. You have dozens of candidates to go through, and you have to do it fast. That’s your job.

Now think about this. The selection process is a matter of time and money. There are numerous candidates and not a lot of time. How long will you spend reading a CV or LinkedIn profile? Five seconds. Yes, it takes you five seconds to decide if you are going to read in detail and make the decision whether to contact this candidate or not. The overall time spent doing this? One minute. In one minute you decide if you want to contact the candidate.?

Next, you contact a candidate. Very often, the first interaction is a phone call that lasts about 15 minutes. The second stage are interviews that last from 30 to 60 minutes.?

Because the selection process is a matter of time and money, the? interviewer wants to find the? information they need as quickly as possible. They don’t want to waste time on what they are not interested in.?

This is why MORE THAN EVER, you as a candidate need to know how to structure the information and present it in the clearest and most complete way possible. That way, you help the other person to access and understand the information they want to see.

If you don’t know how to organize the information, you run the risk of not being completely understood and thus, being left out.

Does that mean you're not good at your job and that you're not going to be able to get a new job? No, it just means that you need to develop your communication skills more than ever.

The formula to structure information

Convey a clear message by following a structure. Start with your point. Then, explain. Next, give examples. Finally, close the idea.?

Here is a simple example:

1. Point: I have experience using React.
2. Explain: I have been using React for five years now, both in my previous and current job.
3. Example: I used React to create this, this, and this project.
4. Close: So I’m confident saying I have experience using React.

By following this formula to structure your speech, you ensure that your response is comprehensive and follows a logical progression. It is simpler to remember, follow, and understand.

Now, are we all really bad at communicating? No. It is simply something that we have to learn and PRACTICE. It is not something that we gain from one day to the next. It takes practice.? Also, understand that you have to practice organizing the information with this formula for each thing that you want to talk about, and even more so if it is going to be in a presentation or job interview.

So remember:

• In order to communicate your ideas clearly and completely during a job interview, present the information using a structure.
• By doing this, you help the interviewer to easily access and understand the information they want to see.
• You also come across as someone who knows what they are talking about, can communicate well and is organized: traits that are valued in any job.?

Go ahead and practice talking about your experience using this formula. The more you practice, the easier it will become, and you’ll reach a point in which this will come naturally to you. And when it does, job interviews will be a breeze.