Let’s eliminate 3 of the key misunderstandings about interviewing that may result in your shooting yourself in the foot. Which is disguised code for You Didn’t Get the Job!
To see all the interviewing mistakes that may prolonging your search, check out my new book: 21 Deadly Job Interview Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making…and How to Fix Them
Misunderstanding #1: Hiring managers are capable interviewers and able to select the best candidate for the job.
Reality: Hiring managers often have little or no training in interviewing and selection. Many of them don’t like the recruiting process, and are often very concerned about making a hiring mistake. These are just a few of the reasons hiring managers delay making decisions, want to see more and more candidates even though they already have very qualified candidates to choose from, and want you to interview with a ton of people.
Also, hiring managers have a lot on their plate and often recruiting is given a low priority. Of course we both know that if they hired you, they would be able to take some of the things off their plate. But when you’re crazed, it can be difficult to stop long enough to hire.
Your Secret Strategy: Come at the interview with some empathy for them and their problems. I’ll help you. Your job in the interview is to help them see how you can help them. Focus on that rather than yourself, and they will feel much more comfortable about hiring you than hiring any of your competitors.
Misunderstanding #2: The recruiter is a gatekeeper you need to get past.
Reality: Never consider someone you meet during the entire interview process as someone you need to “get past.” That is a major mistake.
In nearly all cases, the recruiter is important to you because a) they have a lot of information that can help you ace the interview and leave the other candidates out in the cold, and b) they will make the decision whether the hiring manager even gets to know about you. Whether you move forward in the interview process is often the recruiter’s decision.
So always befriend “gatekeepers”. And let’s talk about that gatekeeper image for a minute. It may seem as though recruiters want to say NO, but their success depends on filling the position, not prolonging the interview process and the hiring manager’s pain.
Your Secret Strategy: Befriend them, take 60 seconds to build some rapport, ask them a little about themselves, have a dialog and work with them. Treat them as if they really matter because they really do.
Misunderstanding #3: The interview is separate from the job.
Reality: The whole time you are in the interview process, which of course you realize starts the moment of first contact, people are evaluating how you will be in the job. Once you’re invited to interview, that’s a strong indication you have the skills and experience they are looking for.
The interview is to confirm that, of course, but it’s also to see what you’ll be like on the job.
The questions they won’t ask you but are asking themselves throughout the entire interview process are things like: “What will this person be like to work with?” “Will they fit into the existing team?” “Would this person be a successful employee and make me look good for hiring them?”
Your Success Strategy: From the very beginning, treat people as if you were already working with them. Have give–and-take conversations, not monologues to sell yourself. Don’t let interviews disintegrate into question-answer mode. Talk to them as you would if you were working with them. This way you will come across as confident, comfortable, and someone they will enjoy working with.