The Interview Secret No One Talks About (But Should)
When it comes to interview tips, the main stuff is pretty obvious: present professionally (yes, dress up!); show up on time; do your homework on the company. And if virtual: be mindful of your surroundings; make sure the technology you are using is working ahead of time; reduce possible distractions – lock your office door, turn off ceiling fans and cell phones.
I share a list of basics like this with candidates before they interview.
But sometimes, there’s more to it.
Often times, the most qualified candidate isn’t the one who gets the job. They scratch their head because they seem to check all the boxes on the job posting.
I was talking to a friend about this last week. She’s been in management for years. I told her I think LIKEABILITY is just as (if not more) important than QUALIFICIATIONS and that I’ve looked past lack of experience in a certain area if the candidate was one I felt strongly could easily learn or acquire that skill AND if, well – I really liked them.
She replied, “Absolutely! I have hired people without the exact experience we were looking for because I just knew they would figure it out and be successful.”
And boom, there it was – what I already knew, confirmed by a hiring manager:
Likeability CAN trump experience in many situations.
So what does this look like in real life?
Here are 6 tips to overcome things I often see hurting well-qualified candidates:
Notes are your friend. In an interview, it’s easy for nerves to get the better of you, causing your mind to blank. A resume is way too wordy to quickly reference, so consider jotting down key items you think might come up in the interview. For example, if the role is sale-oriented, have some of your stats handy, as well as a couple of words to jog your memory on special or noteworthy things you've done to get results with prospects or your sales team. You might think, “there’s no way I’d forget that”… but trust me – when you’re in the hot seat, your mind can blank.
Be enthusiastic and build rapport. One-word answers or a very dry bare bones conversation can make it hard to “click” on a human level. Share why you’re genuinely excited for THIS company and THIS role. Look up who you’re interviewing with on LinkedIn ahead of time and see if there’s any common ground you can use to break the ice. Things like: “I saw on LI you attended the annual RIMS conference - I was there too! I loved speaker XYZ, what did you think?” or “I saw on LI you’re a dog lover – me too! I volunteer at the local SPCA walking dogs once a week.” That human connection goes a long way.
Don't come across as desperate. Regardless of how interested you are in this position (or how desperate you might be to land a role in general if you're unemployed), desperation is never a good look. Don’t complain about the job market or how many roles you’ve interviewed for and didn’t get. All that does is make the person start asking themselves, “why have they interviewed so many times and not been hired?” People want to work come with competent, confident people – portray that as much as possible.
Be prepared. You agreed to the time of the interview, so there's no reason you shouldn't be prepared for it. If you work remotely and have back-to-back calls that day, be sure to get dressed and put yourself together first thing in the morning so there’s no chance of the call before your interview running long, resulting on you showing up on camera with your hair disheveled, still in your pj’s. (Yes, real life example).
Turn your camera on. In case you’re thinking, “I’ll just leave my camera off” as a solution to #4 - please don’t. If the interviewer’s camera is on, yours should be too - period. An interviewee showing up with their camera off can be a surefire way to get cut right out of the gate.
Keep it positive. If you’ve been out of work for awhile, it’s easy to get down on the system and on yourself, but resist the urge! Save your venting for your best friend or spouse – keep it upbeat and positive in the interview process. Your frustrations might be very founded but an interview is not the place to unload.
Demand isn’t a bad thing. If you're in an interview with Company A, but have also begun the process with Company B and C, it's not a bad thing if that comes up in conversation. Not only does it show that you’re in demand, it will encourage them to keep their timeline moving if they really like you. There’s a fine line to balance here because you don't want to send the message that you'll work for just anyone, so you could say something like, "There are things that intrigued me about each opportunity and I feel it smart to keep my options open, but based upon what I know so far, this role with you is of most interest”. Then share a genuine reason why that's true.
“I hope these tips are helpful. Best of luck to you out there, my job search warriors! ”
