Interviewing mistakes

CLO: Survey: One-Third of Candidates Commit a Top Interview Don’t

This article is aimed at executive search interviews, but most of it really applies to any interview. Make sure you don’t make these mistakes:

• Talking too much and listening too little. “Provide concise and specific answers to the [interviewer's] questions. If you go off on a five minute tangent, the [interviewer] may better remember how long you talked, and not what you said,” said Salveson.
• Don’t oversell. “You need to provide a delicate balance between representing your background in the best possible light and overselling yourself. It’s important to make your case for why your experiences match the role – but if you ‘oversell,’ you may appear desperate,” said Stetson.
• Lacking “executive presence.” “You may be the best qualified executive in your discipline, but if you can’t effectively communicate that to me in the interview, then I can’t move you forward in the process. Successful candidates present themselves as polished, personable, and confident executives,” said Stetson.
  [Admin Note: this applies to non-executive positions as well. You need to be able to effectively communicate your fit in whatever position you are applying for.]
• Treating the [initial/phone] interview as a barrier that needs to be overcome so they can reach the “real” interview with the client company. “Treat your [initial] interview . . . as a chance to better understand the job and company, assess whether the position is of serious interest to you, and determine if the role truly is a good fit,” said Stetson.
• Trying to stretch their experience to fit every single desired qualification. “If there are gaps between your experience and the requirements for the position, talk to the [interviewer] about it openly and honestly. Don’t try to convince the [interviewer] you fit every single qualification if you really don’t,” said Salveson.

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