This is How to Nail the Interview Like a Pro!

Several years ago, in a previous career, I needed to hire a project manager for my team. So, after sifting through a pile of resumes sent to me by HR, I narrowed it down to a manageable list. Those who knew how to nail the interview with me (and then with my team) would have the best chance of being hired.  The first round included an interview with me, followed by an interview with other project managers on the team whom they would be working alongside. The second round included several of my peers whose judgment I trusted. Once I gathered all the data from the various interviewers, I would make my decision.

There was one gentleman I interviewed, let’s call him ‘Joseph’ whose qualifications and work experience made him a pretty good candidate to move on to the second round – at least on paper. When he interviewed with me, the interview was okay – it wasn’t anything special, but it wasn’t a train wreck either. Although there was one red flag that gave me pause – he referred to himself in the third person. He said: “Joseph can teach you a lot”. Hey, I am always open to learning from everybody, but someone telling me they could teach me (their future boss) a lot and by referring to themselves in the third person was a bit of an odd thing to say at an interview. But whatever, I thought maybe he was nervous and gave him the benefit of the doubt and he moved on to interview with the team.

Well, after speaking to the team members who interviewed him after I did, it was clear that ‘Joseph’ could have definitely benefitted from reading this blog post on how to nail the interview!

What We Think is Important Isn’t Exactly What’s Important in Interviewing

In his great book, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot, author Richard Wiseman discusses how:

“Over the past thirty years, psychologists have investigated the key factors that impress interviewers, and the work has resulted in several quick and effective techniques that can significantly increase your chances of being offered your dream job.” ¹

According to researchers Chad Higgins (from the University of Washington) and Timothy Judge (from the University of Florida), most interviewers believe there are two key factors that distinguish successful from unsuccessful candidates. Those two factors are qualifications and work experience. However, after analyzing a ton of data, the researchers found that neither of the two factors was the main reason for choosing candidates. Instead, the interviewers were more swayed by another mysterious and powerful force.

What was it?

Well, according to Wiseman it revolved around one question:

“Did the candidate appear to be a pleasant person?

Those who had managed to ingratiate themselves were very likely to be offered a position, and they charmed their way to success in several different ways.” ¹

We will discuss some ways for how to nail the interview by charming your way to success in a minute, but first, let’s discuss…

How to Deal with Your Weaknesses

It is a question that invariably comes up in every interview, “Tell me about your weaknesses?” So, what is the best way to handle the less-impressive parts of your resume or your skills?

Wiseman references a study conducted by Edward Jones and Eric Gordon from Duke University and states that:

“It seems that presenting weaknesses early is seen as a sign of openness…Interviewers believe that they are dealing with someone who has the strength of character and integrity to bring up potential difficulties at the outset, and they, therefore, conclude that the applicant is not attempting to mislead them.” ¹

What About the Positive Aspects of Your Resume and Skillset?

The same Duke study also had some interesting findings regarding how to present the positive aspects of your past:

“It seems that modesty, rather than honesty, is critical for positive aspects of your past. By delaying mention of such details, you appear to prefer letting your strengths emerge naturally while playing your cards early is seen as boastful.” ¹

We will discuss some actionable tips on how to nail the interview by dealing with your weaknesses and positive aspects of your past right after we discuss how to handle messing up in an interview.

What If I Screw Up in an Interview?

Numerous studies have shown that many times we overestimate the severity of our embarrassing encounters.

In fact, this phenomenon is known as the “spotlight effect” and has been observed in various different settings. According to Wiseman:

“From assessing the effects of a bad hair day to performing poorly in a group discussion, those who feel embarrassed are convinced that their mistakes are far more noticeable than they actually are. Why? It seems that we focus on our own looks and behavior more than on those of others, and so we are likely to overestimate the impact of our situation.”

Remember, it is NOT all about you!

So, if during an interview you feel like you have made a mortifying mistake, simply take a deep breath and remember you are probably thinking it is worse than it really is.

How to Nail the Interview in 3 Easy Steps

Now let’s make all the stuff we have discussed so far actionable.

Wiseman suggests the following 3 steps for how to nail that interview!

(1)  Remember that being likable is more important than work experience and qualifications, so…

  Identify something that you admire about the organization and let your feelings be known.

 Feel free to give the interviewer a compliment as long as it is a genuine one.

 Talk about a non-work-related topic that you have in common with the interviewer or that you both find interesting.

 Summon your inner-Dale Carnegie and be interested in the interviewer. Ask about the type of person they are looking for and how the job fits into the organization as a whole.

 Show some enthusiasm both about the organization and the job.

 Be positive, smile and keep eye contact with the interviewer.

(2)  When it Comes to Your Weakness and Positive Aspects…

 Do not wait until the end of the interview to reveal your weaknesses. As Wiseman advises: “Instead, give your credibility a boost by getting them into the conversation toward the start of the interview.” ¹

 As far as the positive aspects of your past, modesty is critical, so don’t play your cards until the very last minute.

(3)  Lastly, If You Make a Mistake

 Do not overreact and freak out! As Wiseman says: “The chances are that it is far more noticeable to you than to others, and your excessive response or apologizing could just draw more attention to it. Instead, acknowledge the mistake, if appropriate, and then continue as if nothing happened.” ¹

It Seems Like Joseph Acted a Bit Differently with the Team Than He Did with Me

According to the three team members he kept referring to himself in the third person and was an arrogant know it all.

Not only that, but according to one of the females that interviewed him, who was a recent hire herself, he would not stop referring to himself in the 3^rd person and he then proceeded to tell her that women who get pregnant and have kids aren’t as committed to the job.

Wait, what?!?!?!?

You simply cannot make this stuff up!

So, as you can imagine…

“Joseph did not get the job!”

(and that is not Joseph speaking in the third person, that is me stating what can happen if you do not know how to nail the interview!)

Until next time, learn how to nail the interview and as always…PYMFP!
–Rick

P.S. Wanna know more? Check out the entire book!

Use It or Lose It

Remember the 3 steps we discussed for how to nail the interview:

(1)  Remember the importance of being likable and practice some of the ways we discussed.
(2)  Don’t wait until the end of the interview to reveal your weaknesses, and be modest about your successes.
(3)  If you make a mistake, don’t freak out!

When to Use It

Use these tips for how to nail the interview when you are interviewing for a job.

What Do You Think?

Have you used any of these tips for how to nail the interview? Will you use any of them? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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References

59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot by Richard Wiseman