Interview Myths

Interview MythsThe following information was obtained from:

Haldane’s Best Answers to Tough Interview QuestionsAvailable for Checkout at the GBCC

Some of the advice each one of has received about the job interview

over our lifetime may be somewhat out of date or unrealistic. Let’s look

at several commonly held job interview myths and realities to get

a better understanding of what works best.

Myth # 1

Myth: Every interview in my job search will be a job interview.

Reality: Some of the most fruitful interviews you engage in are informational interviews. These are

interviews which you set up and conduct to gain information, advice, referrals and to be favorably remembered. Informational interviews often lead to job interviews and provide invaluable information for your later job interviews--including the

process of negotiating your salary.

Myth # 2

Myth: For the employer, the purpose of the interview is to determine if you are qualified for the job.

Reality: The employer has already determined that you are qualified for the job before he or she invites you to the interview. The primary purpose of the interview is to determine whether or not you will fit into the organization--your personality and likability. The employer will be looking for chemistry. In the end, the

employer wants to hire someone who is both

qualified and likeable.

Myth # 3

Myth: My goal in a job interview is to get the job.

Reality: Your goal is to both give and elicit information--especially if this is your first interview with this employer--and get a second interview! You want to impress the interviewer favorably so that you will remain a candidate and be called back for another of what will probably be a series of interviews, and you also want to get information as to what the employer needs. That will both help you present your accomplishments so that they demonstrate your fit for the particular position and help you determine if this is a job you likely will accept if it is offered.

Myth # 4

Myth: I have always been able to talk my way through anything. I’ll just go into the interview and

dazzle the interviewer with my verbosity.

Reality: You may fill silence, but verbosity will most likely come out as a “stream of consciousness” without focus. You need to be highly focused in the interview--both with your responses to

questions and the targeted questions you ask. Preparation is a necessity even for those

comfortable with their conversational abilities.

Myth # 5

Myth: I should do most of the talking in the interview because they want to know more about me.

Reality: You need to talk, but you also need to ask questions of the interviewer(s) and listen to the answers. The questions you ask will provide you with information you need to determine whether this job is right for you. Your questions will also impress the interviewer if they are questions geared to determining more depth about the position and the qualities needed to excel on the job. Your talk should be focused. Avoid long rambling responses.

Myth # 6

Myth: If there is something about me that may be perceived as negative, such as that I was

fired from a job, I should fully explain the situation if asked about it.

Reality: Be honest in a way that reflects positively on you. Address the situation in a way that shows you have taken something positive from the experience--turned it into an opportunity. Keep your comments focused and brief. Don’t dwell on what happened. This is a situation where most people talk too much. And don’t disparage your former boss or company.

Myth # 7

Myth: If I am asked a clearly illegal question I should set the interviewer straight so he or she won’t do it again.

Reality: It may make you feel good for the moment, but it will rarely, if ever, get you the job. You might turn it around and politely indicate that it is a question you have never been asked before and you are curious as to why it is important to the job under consideration. But in most cases, if you still want an opportunity and the job, you will frame a positive response.

Myth # 8

Myth: If I am asked about my salary expectations, I’ll give a high figure. That way they will assume I am worth a lot.

Reality: Try to avoid discussion of salary until there is a job offer on the table. Even then, try to get the interviewer to state a figure first. If you are in a situation where you are forced to respond, state a range based on salary comparable for the position which you gathered in preparation for the interview. The low figure of the salary range should not be lower than the lowest figure you are willing to accept.

Myth # 9

Myth: I certainly don’t want the employer to think I am desperate for a job, so I will be as low-key as possible.

Reality: No, you do not want to appear desperate for just any job. But you do want to

appear interested and enthusiastic about this job. Employers favor dynamic and energetic people who indicate genuine interest and enthusiasm with their work.

Myth # 10

Myth: It is impossible to be too confident in a job interview.

Reality: It is called being cocky, and unless one of the job qualifications is being

obnoxious, it will not advance your candidacy. You want to appear self-assured and confident of your ability to do the job. You do not want to appear cocky.