Interview Myth no. 7 & 8

Myth no. 7: You should try to give the perfect answer

I’ve heard too many people stumble over their words, repeat
themselves and talk in circles because they’re trying to articulate
the perfect answer—or what they think constitutes the perfect answer.
Some people are so obsessed with delivering the perfect answer that
6 interview skills that win the job
they don’t stop until they produce what in their opinion is a wordperfect
response.
Because we can never be entirely sure of what the interviewer
wants to hear, some of us will keep on talking in the hope that we’ll
cover all bases. The problem with this approach is that we end up
talking too much, leading to the interviewer losing concentration—
which, of course, is the last thing you need at an interview. The
reality is that in most cases there is no such thing as the perfect
answer. The lesson here is: it makes a lot of sense to settle for a good
answer that gets to the point rather than meander all over the place
searching for the elusive perfect answer.

Myth no. 8: You must ask questions to demonstrate
your interest and intelligence

Many interviewees are under the mistaken belief that they must ask
questions at the end of the interview. There seems to be a common
belief amongst many interviewees that this makes them sound more
intelligent as well as more interested in the job. This is not true.
Asking questions simply for the sake of doing so won’t improve
your chances of getting a job. It could even make you sound a little
dull—especially if you ask questions about matters that were already
covered during the course of the interview.
Only ask a question if you have a genuine query. Acceptable
questions include those relating directly to the job you’re applying
for, as well as working conditions and company policies on such
things as on pay, leave, and so on. Interviewers never mind answering
questions about such matters, but they do mind answering questions
they perceive to be irrelevant. If you have no questions to ask, simply
say something like: ‘Thankyou, but I have no questions. You’ve been
very thorough during the course of the interview and have covered
all the important matters regarding the job.’ There’s nothing wrong
with including a compliment to the interviewer about their
thoroughness and professionalism—provided it doesn’t go over the
top or sound like grovelling.

interview myths 7
Two further points need to be made about asking questions. First,
avoid asking too many questions. On the whole, interviewers do
not enjoy role reversals. Second, never ask potentially embarrassing
questions. These can include:
• a question relating to a negative incident;
• something that’s not supposed to be in the public domain;
• a difficult question that may stump the interviewer.
The rule of thumb is: if you think a question may cause
embarrassment, err on the side of caution and avoid it.