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Job Interview Tips

Posted in: tips, work at about 4pm

Over the past year or so, at my place of work, I’ve been involved in a few teams assigned the task of helping interview potential employees. Being a part of these groups I have had to write interview questions, ask them, and respond to the answers in various ways. In this process I have become acutely aware of some common mistakes people make when they’re being interviewed. Partly to get these things off of my chest and partly to help people who may be receiving some interviews, I have chosen to write a quick list of things to keep in mind before your next job interview.

(These may sound abundantly obvious, but my experience is that to some people they’re not.)

Tip 1: Stop, think, then say what you mean and mean what you say.

This is paramount!

When I was in college, I tutored writing in the Writing Workshop at my university. A common problem a lot of students had was they would write to make the words sound good, but they paid little attention to what they were actually communicating their words. The effect this sort of writing has on a reader is confusion—it doesn’t make sense because nothing is actually being said.

This effect comes up, too, in interviewing. Some people I’ve spoken with will spend five minutes rambling, trying to use all the buzzwords and catchphrases they can think of, but in doing so, they completely sidestep the question I’ve asked. As an interviewer, this is very annoying.

For web designers, we’re used to the idea that content is what counts. No pretty design can cover up weak content. The same is true in our words, especially, in the context of an interview. We would be better to pause, think through the question, and answer it directly and clearly. Leave the buzzwords and catchphrases alone, they don’t impress people who actually understand a given job or field.

Tip 2: Don’t Feel Obligated to Talk the Whole Time.

Some people I have interviewed ramble on with empty words and phrases. Some people, on the other end, just ramble on. They know what they’re talking about, maybe, but they’re saying far more than what I am interested in hearing.

Again, my general advice is: pause, think, and respond. Most of the people who struggle with this are the ones who immediately start answering a question, and half way through their response realize they’re not answering the right question. They would usually be fine if they stopped and asked a few questions, but instead, they often just start over without thinking further making the same mistake again.

Of course, you want to answer questions thoroughly and completely, but saying too much can make your good answers get lost in a lot of verbal mud.

Side note: if you don’t know what to say or how to answer a question, ask the interviewer what they mean. Some questions can be worded funny or come out wrong. Most people will not mind clarifying their question. In addition to helping you understand the question better, this can give you time to formulate your response.

Tip 3: Don’t Bring Up Things That Are Unrelated to Your Interview.

This seems somewhat simple to me, but I am amazed at how many people want to talk about everything but what I’m asking them. Some go so far as to share stories that make them look ignorant or hard to work with. Try to answer questions directly and be careful to avoid getting too far off track. This shows good communication skills, too, which is important for interviewers to see.

A personal thing from me: Don’t answer every question with a story. If you’re asked to “Tell of a time when…”, then tell a story. But if you’re asked a factual question, answer it with a fact.

Tip 4: (You better know this already) Don’t Ever Insult The Person Who is Interviewing You.

Just don’t do it. It happened to me once. They did not get the job. They didn’t even get considered.

Sometimes the people interviewing are stupid. Don’t tell them till after they’ve hired you.

If I were to interview you and you did these things, even if you didn’t get the job, I’d really like you for it.