Interviews...the good, the bad, the ugly

By Christine Fader
Special to SchoolFinder.com

So you're getting your degree in hand and you're psyched to go out there and talk to employers. Hold on a second. Before you embark on that real-time contact, are you ready to show what makes you different from other students or graduates with the same label on their degree? Have you prepared yourself (and your answering machine) for contact with employers according to their schedule, not yours? Can you succinctly answer the question, 'Tell me about yourself'? Unbutton that new suit jacket and take a few minutes to think about what's ahead.

 

One of the most common questions asked by students who are preparing for interviews is "What's a good weakness to have?"

This often means that students are working under the assumption that they are going into a test where a right or wrong answer will determine their success. Start by taking some of that panic out of the situation.

Interviews are not tests or interrogations, but rather conversations with people who are doing work that interests you. There are no absolute right or wrong ideas when it comes to conversations with employers.

That said, after doing a bit of recruiting, employers start to develop opinions about what they like to see in a candidate, what are the most over-used and trite answers, and what are real turn-offs.

The good ...
First let's clarify that "the good" refers to good interviews, not the "right" answer. Avoid the temptation to memorize or script your conversations with employers. You tend to come across as too rehearsed, out-of-the-blue questions will throw you, and interviewers may perceive you as hiding something. Here are some suggestions to help you.

Less is more. Recruiting is expensive. For this reason, most employers want to hire people who are interested in the work they do and who understand how they can contribute to their organization. Focusing in greater depth on fewer employers that are really of interest to you is a good strategy for success.

The foremost question for an employer as they enter a conversation about work is "What's in it for me?" You need to prove that you can add value.

Ask intelligent questions. Do your homework by investigating web sites, annual reports, and talking to people who work in the field or in the organization. Ask questions that will help you confirm the match between you and the work. Find out if your values are a good fit with the organization.

Think about what is important to you in your work and convey, with enthusiasm, your intent to find the connections with what the host organization does.

Be an active participant. Arrive at the conversation prepared to contribute enthusiastically and knowledgeably. Many employers are not trained interviewers. As a potential colleague, if you behave confidently and respectfully, you often help to put the employer at ease.

If given the choice, schedule the interview for a time of day when you feel your best. You will project yourself much more effectively and therefore have a better chance to get beyond the awkwardness of the interview scenario and leave a positive impression. Explain the obvious. You do not have to be a social butterfly to succeed in an interview. You do need to explain to people what they are seeing, so that they don't falsely interpret your behaviour. Be authentic and let them see what you are like to work with. Are you quiet and reserved at first meeting? Perhaps you are extremely nervous or it is your first interview. Maybe English is not your first language and you have more trouble communicating effectively under stress.

Whatever the issue, do not leave question marks in the employer's mind for them to decipher on their own. You may choose not to address the issue directly, but you must help them understand you during the course of the conversation. You do not need to be perfect. But you must give examples that demonstrate to the employer that you are someone they can work with.

Think Hollywood. Prove the skills and attributes you say you possess. Tell vivid, truthful stories that enable the employer to "watch the movie" of a specific situation. Be succinct and along the way, demonstrate to the employer how your past experiences show your potential capabilities in the future.

To avoid rambling and being too general, try the S-T-A-R formula. Tell them about the specific Situation, the Tactics/Thoughts you used, the Action you took, and the Results.

The bad...
Bad interviews are often not about the answers, but rather about the subtle differences between candidates. Two candidates may be quite similar in qualifications and experience, but one just seems to have an edge because of something the interviewer can't quite identify.

Here are some of the common intangible qualities that can make the difference between being first or second on a recruiter's callback list.

"Lord I was born a ramblin' man..." Candidates who do a lot of talking in an interview but never seem to reach the point of the answer, can not only annoy a recruiter, but demonstrate that they are not effective communicators. Be succinct and specific. Ask if they want more detail to avoid giving information that may be unnecessary.

Phone yourself and leave the answer to a question a day on your answering machine. You will learn a lot about how you come across. (Hint: if your answering machine's timer cuts you off, you may need to refine your answers!)

Expects a firing squad. The best interviewees tend to politely and appropriately ask questions. Candidates who sit passively and answer question after question, without contributing or engaging the interviewer, often demonstrate a lack of motivation or initiative. Good candidates view interviews as "conversations", rather than "interrogations".

Keeps 'em guessing. Good candidates help employers understand who they are. They provide consistent evidence to support who they explain and show themselves to be. One candidate repeatedly stated that she was "discrete" yet in almost every story she told, she demonstrated clearly that she had no discretion.

Candidates who leave an employer wondering about inconsistencies after an interview are accepting a risk. Do you want to take the chance that they will come up with the wrong interpretation of you? The employer may make decisions accordingly…and not necessarily to your benefit.

Does it all. There can be a strong temptation in an interview to try to be all things to all people. Remember to have a focus. Know what you are good at and what you love to do. Be able to articulate those things clearly.

It is also easy to answer questions as if you work completely alone - which tends not to be the case in actual workplaces. You illustrate your ability to be a contributing member of a team by including other co-workers in your examples.

The ugly...
There is just so much to choose from under this category. Interviewers experience a whole range of faux pas - from people bringing food or friends into the meeting, to candidates putting their feet up on the desk... it's amazing what can happen during a simple conversation!

Just as you should expect respect from an employer, your job as an effective candidate is to return the favour. Interview behaviour to avoid can seem obvious, yet people still engage in some of the following common and often results-altering mistakes.

• "I'm a perfectionist". Do you have three weaknesses you can talk about with examples? Use weaknesses that will not compromise your candidacy, but are still honest. Describe specifically how you compensate for them. Candidates who trot out the tired and much over-used, "I'm such a perfectionist" line when asked about weaknesses demonstrate only one thing - their weakness is that in an effort to give an employer what they think is the "right" answer, they have memorized the interview handbook. Bad idea.

 

• Fakes it. People who lie in interviews don't always get caught but it's still not something that is recommended. First of all, there are very few good liars and what tends to happen is that inconsistencies show up in your answers - causing your candidacy to be in jeopardy. Secondly, interviewers want to find people who know what they are good at, and what they need help with.
   
  Saying "I don't know" in an interview and sincerely adding some positive information about where you would look for answers can be much more effective than trying to bluff your way through. If you can't admit you don't know something in an interview, what will you do on the job when the reputation of the organization is depending on how you conduct yourself?
   
  
• Shops around. It is ethical to go to an interview if you want to find out more about the work. It is not ethical to go to an interview if you have already accepted another offer of employment. Think carefully before you accept a position - even verbally.

 
If you are looking for interview practice but you're not really interested in this particular job, try your campus career centre or one of the employers conducting mock interviews on campus for help. Don't waste an employer's time or steal an interview spot from someone who has a real interest in pursuing the work.
 

• Wants "Just a Job". At this stage, it can be easy to get into the mindset of "I just want a job - any job". You should know though that recruiting is expensive and employers know that most employees do better work, add value (and therefore profit) when they like what they do. It doesn't make much sense, therefore, to hire someone who wants "just a job" and doesn't know why THIS is the job/organization/field that fits. That's why asking about salary as your first or only question can be so significant. Employers know that you want to make money - that's a fact of life about working! But money in itself is usually not enough to make you motivated to do the work well, be innovative and enthusiastic. Think about why this particular organization or field attracted your attention. Why are you suited for it? If you show that you have thought about the "fit", you stand to reassure the employer that you are serious about the prospect of contributing.

 

The magic fomula
How do you know what will work with each employer? You don't. Every employer and organization is different. The key is to be your positive, professional, and authentic self. Be wary of following a script or memorizing answers. Explain the person that they see and back it up by describing what you love to do and what you're good at.

Always demonstrate how you can contribute by using concrete examples from the past. Use the interview to determine whether this is work you really want to do. Convey yourself enthusiastically and professionally to everyone that you come in contact with, not just the interviewer.

Choose your interviews carefully based on what you know about yourself and the match between the work you love and the work they have. Politely ask questions and be a contributing member to all conversations about the work.

Now, try to relax, smile, and ...tell me about yourself.

Christine Fader works as a Career Advisor in Kingston, Ontario.