Why do accomplished professionals underperform in interviews?

Sometimes even the most adept professionals underperform at interviews. They might be the perfect candidate on paper and still walk away from the interview without having secured the role. In this blog, we’ll discuss some of the reasons why this might be the case so as to help you preempt and avoid finding yourself in the same position.?

Lack of preparedness?

As Benjamin Franklin said, failing to prepare means to prepare to fail. Going into an interview, you should know the company, role, and the interviewer inside out - as much as is possible from the outside. Due diligence is key. Whilst you might be an experienced and knowledgeable candidate, you still need to put time into being ready for the interview.?

You should also prepare your answers to some of the more basic interview questions that are likely to come up. Why us? Why you? Why now? Even the best candidates can’t always ‘wing it’ in interviews, so put some thought into how you’d navigate these questions convincingly before you turn up for the interview.?

Misjudging the interview focus?

A job interview is about more than just fielding a list of questions. If you approach it in this way, you’re unlikely to make an impact or create a strong ‘match’ in the mind of the interviewer. From the outset, try to understand what the interviewer feels is most important about the role or company. This is likely to be clear from the emphasis and general direction of their questions. You can then focus the remainder of the interview on making a clear and convincing match between what they care about, and what you can offer. It’s important to ensure that by the closing moments of the interview, you’ve met the logical and emotional needs of the interviewer.?

Not convinced by one’s own value?

A common issue for experienced professionals, but inexperienced interviewees, is a lack of conviction in one’s own value. The person who needs to be the most convinced of your value is you. Take time to reflect on the value that you can add to the business and how you can best articulate this. Prepare a strong bank of examples to evidence the claims you are making. But crucially, go into the interview with a high state of conviction in yourself as a prospective candidate.?

Being thrown by curveball questions?

One of the things that an interviewer will seek to find out in an interview is how you react under pressure. They may pose challenging questions that aim to test your ability to think on your feet and remain calm. You can’t prepare for every tricky question, but you can anticipate some commonly recurring ones and prepare how you’d navigate them. These include:?

• Tell me about a time when you faced a major setback or failure in your career. How did you handle it, and what did you learn from the experience??
• Describe a situation where you had to make a difficult decision with limited information or under time pressure. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?
• Give an example of a project or initiative where you had to navigate conflicting priorities or stakeholders. How did you manage the situation, and what was the result?

Coming across as inauthentic?

Professionals can come across as inauthentic in interviews for two reasons. First, because they are genuinely being disingenuous in what they are saying. Second, because they are so overly prepared and scripted that their responses no longer seem natural. It’s important that you convince the interviewer that your inquiry into the role is honest and sincere. That’s not to say you have to be 100% convinced that you want the job already: an interview is as much about the candidate discerning if the role is right for them. However, you have to be authentic in your potential interest. If you are, and you’ve thoroughly prepared for the interview, you can avoid coming across as scripted by focusing your preparation on ideas and key bullet points. This is much better than line by line scripted answers to the questions you’ve anticipated coming up.?

Closing thoughts

If you’ve been for an interview and not been successful - despite being a strong candidate on paper - reflect on why this might have been the case. This blog might elicit some ideas and help you to avoid making the same mistakes next time.?