Succeeding in Interviews Often Means Being Likable
Question: How long should answers be during interviews?
When responding, should I say, "When I become vice president of your
company" or "as vice president of your company"? How much should
I try to control the interview?
Answer: Here's one of the most important things to know
about interviewing: By the time you're invited to meet company representatives,
the employer usually believes you're qualified to do the job. Now, the company
wants to know if you'll fit in and work well in its environment.
In
other words, the interviewer is hoping to learn you're someone who should be
invited to the party, says Mike Lorelli, chief
executive officer of Latex International, a
(As
an aside, you can see why it's so important to network and be referred for a
job by someone the company trusts. This way, the interviewer is already
predisposed to like you.)
There
isn't a specific formula for interview success. The best sessions are typically
conversational give-and-takes where the interviewer and candidate form a
personal connection. Talking too much won't allow for that.
"There
is nothing more painful than someone giving an answer that is seemingly
endless," says Mr. Lorelli, whose career
includes the presidencies of large consumer products companies.
Take
your cues from interviewers, he suggests. If they speak in shorter sentences,
respond in kind. One way to know if your answers are too long is if the
interviewer interrupts you to ask another question, says Joshua Burgin, senior
manager, IT projects, for the
"For
me, the best answers are those when you appear to have listened to the question
and answered it directly and also gotten behind it and said something so I can
follow up," he says.
Try
to gauge how you're doing with such queries as "Would you like a short or
long answer to that?" or "Is that what you wanted to know?" Mr.
Burgin suggests. "I like candidates who can recover from stumbles over
those who don't seem to read the question correctly," he says.
It's
important to be comfortable with yourself during interviews, which means doing
what's natural to you – which isn't likely to include saying: "when I am
vice president of your company." Often, using that sort of phrase can
backfire and make you seem arrogant or presumptuous.
If
an interviewer is on the fence about you, it's best not to take that chance.
"It isn't horrible to say something like that, but when I'm not completely
sure about someone, it probably wouldn't work for me," says Mr. Burgin.
Controlling
an interview is wise in the sense that you should try to get a few important
points across during the meeting, says Mr. Lorelli.
For instance, if you learn from your research that you and the interviewer have
something in common, such as a hobby, try to work it into an answer. Mr. Lorelli plays golf and is a private pilot, "so if a
golfer or pilot were interviewing me, I would work those things into the
conversation," he says.
Or,
if the opening has international responsibilities, let the interviewer know you
have traveled or worked globally in the past.
Asking
thoughtful questions can help turn the interview into a conversation, says Mr.
Burgin. "I worry about a person's fit when I'm only asked simple things
like about the health benefits," he says.
Everyone
loves to talk about themselves and their interests. Look for clues about an
interviewer when you enter the person's office and comment on them, Mr. Lorelli suggests. If the office is bare, ask the
interviewer how long he or she has worked at the organization and how they like
it. Remarks like this make you seem friendly and likable – and very possibly
someone the company may want to hire.
Article from CareerJournal
Online January 2007