Just because an interview is not going as planned doesn’t mean you can’t employ a little skill to turn it all around.
Set the scene. You are sitting in a job interview. You have done your research, you know your main talking points and you feel prepared. But despite all of your work, the interview just isn’t going your way. You feel that it is a lost cause and you might as well abandon ship. But don’t despair, here is how you can recognise when an interview is taking a turn and how you get it back on track.
Are you boring yourself?
Boredom can cloud your mind, detracting from your ability to pay attention. If you notice that the person or people interviewing you are becoming distracted, for example, if they are looking around too much, yawning, not making regular eye contact or appear to not be following what you are saying, it may be time to liven things up a little.
That is not to say that you should do anything out of the ordinary for a job interview, however, little changes in body language for example could get an interviewer to focus more. That might involve gesturing with your hands, turning and nodding your head, and ensuring that your voice isn’t monotone or dull.
It is also helpful to work in a few relevant jokes or anecdotes, to keep them engaged, but also to show a bit of your personality. A good rule of thumb to remember is, if you are boring yourself with a memorised answer about why you are the best, then it is likely you are boring them too.
Are you repeating yourself?
There is such a thing as being too prepared and if you are, then you may come off as being slightly disingenuous. Often, if your answers are repetitive or you are being asked to elaborate, it may be a sign that the interviewer wants to hear a different answer.
If this is the case, don’t panic and don’t be afraid to let go of what you have practiced. If you need time to think, take a drink of water and when you are ready, answer the question honestly, but in a more interesting way than before. It can help to silently ask yourself if I was asking this question from the other person’s point of view, what are the points that would matter the most.
If you are truly stumped for an answer, there is no harm in asking the interviewer to clarify what they are asking. You might feel that this makes you look unsure or unprofessional, but in all likelihood the interviewer will appreciate that you are considering the question carefully and that you want to give an accurate answer.
Are you doubting yourself?
In days gone by, people (myself included), would have handed in a CV usually in person. Then we began sending them via the internet, until we got to where we are now, where a recruiter or an AI-model is often the first person or entity to review it.
But regardless of how you were selected, you may feel that the interviewer is harsh in their criticism of your qualifications, despite having asked to speak with you, leading to self-doubt or self-sabotage. If you get the impression that the people interviewing you are seriously questioning whether you are capable of doing the job at hand, it is crucial that you don’t fold and agree that you are inexperienced.
Instead, reframe the situation by showing how eager you are to learn and the strides you have already made in your professional education. Point out the positives in your CV, as they are likely the elements that initially made you an attractive candidate. Above all, speak with confidence when you tell them why you would be an asset to the company.
Are you moving on?
A key red flag that indicates you may not be faring well in the interview is if towards the end, the interviewer doesn’t fill you in on the next steps. Typically in an interview you will be given certain job-specific information, such as hierarchies, responsibilities, pay, onboarding processes etc.
A failure to impart this information could potentially imply that you won’t be moving on in your application. While you can’t necessarily circumnavigate this particular roadblock as the decision may well have been made, you can still try.
By asking questions in relation to the future, you show that you are committed, that you truly want the role and that you see a future there. At the very least, this leaves a good impression and even if the current role is not suited to you, you may be considered favourably down the line.
When it comes down to it, you can never truly fully prepare for a job interview. Mainly because you never know what kind of interviewer you are going to get or how their own motivations will impact the conversation.
As long as you remember to breathe, give yourself time to think and always act as your own advocate, you are putting yourself in the best possible position and at some point it’s important to acknowledge that you have done all you can.
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