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When Bad Interviews Happen to
Good Candidates
by Linda Matias
Going through the motions of a bad interview is like peeling back the
layers of an onion. Sally learned this lesson the hard way, hands-on
during an interview that should have been a piece of cake. Sally
applied for a position that fit her qualifications perfectly. When she
received an invitation to interview, Sally believed she was a shoo-in
for the job. Feeling confident, she approached the interview in a lax
manner. She didn’t prepare and prematurely celebrated an offer she was
convinced would be extended.
The day of the interview, Sally was surprised by the level of anxiety
she felt. Her apprehension began to build and she began to prepare for
the interview at the last minute. By the time she arrived at the
interview, she was visibly shaken.
Lesson learned: The time to collect your thoughts is prior to an
interview, not on your way to one. If you arrive to an interview
bewildered, the recruiter will take notice and you run a high risk
that you will be not get the offer.
The interviewer entered the waiting area and introduced himself. To
ease the tension, he asked a common icebreaker question, “Did you have
trouble finding us?” Sally has never been a smooth small talker and
she answered the question candidly. She confided that she doesn’t have
a good sense of direction and coupled with the fact that she was
anxious, she passed the building entrance quite a few times. The
interviewer smiled politely and proceeded to walk towards the
interview room. Realizing she goofed, Sally hesitantly followed the
interviewer.
Lesson learned: Everything you say and do during an interview is
scrutinized; from the instant you walk in, to the moment you walk out.
An innocent question doesn’t exist during an interview and a careless
misstep is seldom forgotten. Choose your responses carefully.
When Sally was escorted to the interview room, she was surprised to
see a panel of interviewers. She was only familiar with the “it’s just
you and me, kid” type of the interview – the one-on-one. At the start
of the interview, she quickly realized that it was going to be a
challenge to manage that interview.
Lesson learned: Interviews are unpredictable. One never knows the
broad range of topics that will be covered and the type of formats
that may be presented. Familiarize yourself with all interview
settings.
Because she was not ready for the series of questions, Sally tripped
over her answers. She focused on issues that weren’t relevant and
provided little information on what was pertinent. She began to ramble
and appeared under-qualified for the position.
Sensing that she was interviewing poorly, Sally began to lose patience
with the process. She failed to maintain eye contact and began to
fidget. The enthusiasm she felt for the position and the company
slowly diminished as she witnessed the blank looks on the faces of the
panelists. She withdrew mentally from the interview, and as a result,
appeared disinterested.
Lesson learned: Most interviewers expect candidates to be nervous
during an interview, and they rarely will forgive you if you fail to
demonstrate a sincere interest in working for them. Most hiring
decisions are based on whether the interviewer feels a connection to
you. The failure to establish a bond immediately is usually beyond
repair.
After the interview Sally realized that the questions she had been
asked were not difficult. She had been overwhelmed by nervousness and
that had clouded her ability to communicate clearly and to the point
effectively.
Lesson learned: Even if you have the “right stuff,” nothing is
guaranteed. Don’t get caught off guard; prepare for interviews; do
your homework.
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Linda Matias is President of CareerStrides and The National Resume
Writers' Association. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal,
New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. Visit her website at
www.careerstrides.com or email her at linda@careerstrides.com.
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