It is everyone who has ever been on an interview biggest fear – signs from the interviewer during the meeting that they just are not buying into you and what you can bring to the role – and you can expect it to turn out to be a no when the feedback comes through. However for most people the signs are not clear cut – if they were it would be a lot easier to take proactive action to turn the interview around and rescue success from the jaws of defeat.
It can be stressful enough attending an interview without having to worry about the millions of details people tell you to watch out for. Whilst to remember the answers you planned for some of those pesky expected questions you’re trying to think about your body language and maintain a calm, relaxed front. Add to this the new task of watching out for negative signs coming off the interviewer and we could all collapse with exhaustion!
However before we are all feeling to drained and depressed by the thought of this and we reach for the phone to cancel the interview there are five very easy signs to watch out for – all of which can be turned around and failure kept at bay.
Questions: Most people who will be conducting an interview will be in possession of a number of prepared questions they wish to ask all candidates. This is to give the interview some structure but will enable some clear areas of comparison between applicants. However now the issues arise – these questions are only supposed to help give the interview a rough path it should take. The answers you give will inevitably raise further questions the interviewer wants to ask which not part of his pre-prepared questions. If this isn’t happening i.e. they are not asking a follow up question to something you have just said then we have a problem. This can be very easily countered – draw the interviewer more into the dialog by asking some open questions yourself as part of the answers you give a two way dialog will enable the hiring manager to reengage and regain their interest.
Distractions: nothing is more obvious that the interview is not going well then the hiring manager appearing distracted and disinterested. This can be as simple as them glancing at the computer when they see a new email pop up or is the amount of eye contacting between you getting less all the time. If they start glancing at the clock or a watch then you know you’re in trouble! If you have done your research on the company and industry – and if you haven’t then you’ve missed out one of the most important areas of your interview prep – then now is the perfect time to leverage this information. Comment on a piece of latest industry news and ask how this is affecting their company. How will this development in the industry impact on their company’s plans and services. The hiring manage will want to talk about his company and the future and you can quickly regain their interest levels.
Whilst this might seem like a lot to take in – and we have only mentioned two of the five areas we wanted to focus on even focusing on these areas will help you improve your interview experience and increase your chances of securing that dream role! Next week we will take a look at the remaining three areas and how you can rescue your interview and turn it swiftly into a victory!
