Do you rock the job interview? Don’t be so sure. You better ask for feedback.

Unfortunately, because interviews are so unnatural, only a small percent of people can actually pull interviews off without any help. The problem is that most people believe they are part of that small percentage. This is known as illusory superiority, or the superiority bias, and it happens when people overestimate their own abilities when compared to the ability of others.

Studies show that people incorrectly think they are generally better than others in a variety of abilities including academic skills, job performance, popularity, humor, grammar, logic, politics, and many more.

What’s worse, the Dunning–Kruger Effect, shows the worse you are at a skill, the more convinced you are that you’re better than others in that skill.

For example, in one study, after completing a grammar test, college students overestimated their ability to “identify grammatically correct standard English” compared with others. Those who scored in the bottom 10%, rated their abilities in the 67%. Their ability ranked among the lowest, while they believed they were in the top third of participants.

And it’s not just college kids; you can find examples of the Dunning-Kruger Effect everywhere. One study of high-tech firms discovered that 32–42% of software engineers rated their skills as being in the top 5% of their companies… Drivers consistently rate themselves above average. Medical technicians overestimate their knowledge in real-world lab procedures. In a classic study of faculty at the University of Nebraska, 68% rated themselves in the top 25% for teaching ability.
— From a Forbes article by Mark Murphy

In other words, you could be absolutely terrible at interviewing but think you are completely amazing. Unfortunately, chances are you’re in this group.

The reality is that everyone is susceptible to this phenomenon, and in fact, most of us probably experience it with surprising regularity. People who are genuine experts in one area may mistakenly believe that their intelligence and knowledge carry over into other areas in which they are less familiar.
— From a Verywell Mind article by Kendra Cherry.

We’ve spoken to hundreds of people about interviewing and watched them answer interview questions. Most of them believe they are better at interviewing than they really are. They believe because they get good grades, are social, or have a lot of experience in a role, they are inherently experts at interviewing. But it’s not that easy. Interviews are extremely difficult and require very specific skills.

About 90% of college seniors are confident in their interviewing skills, while more than 60% of recruiters say their interview skills leave much to be desired.
— Forbes article by Carmine Gallo

So what can you do about it?

There are three things you can do to overcome the superiority bias.

• First, keep learning. Instead of assuming you know all there is to know about job interviews, keep digging deeper. With some research, there are certain techniques that can make you much more likely to succeed. Reading our blog to gain tips is just one quick way to get better.
• Second, practice. At the very least, you should practice answering general interview questions out loud. Even if you think you have the perfect answer, by practicing it out loud several times you’ll discover the weak parts of it so you can improve it. Practicing, also makes you comfortable with your story and therefore less likely to make mistakes in the interview.
• Third, ask for feedback. The most effective thing you can do to prepare for an interview is to get someone else’s thoughts on your answers. As you’ve discovered in this article, it is easy to think the interview answer you’ve prepared is perfect, but the reality is that it most likely needs improvement. So ask a friend, colleague or mentor to listen to some of your answers. The best way to do this is by using our free app, Peervuu, which lets you find professionals in your industry who can give you tips and offer feedback on your answers.

With a little bit of learning, practice and feedback, you can get an unbiased view of your true interview skill level and ensure you are definitely prepared for your interview!

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