How To Not Completely Fail The Interview Process (Part 1)

Over 1,000 interviews later, I can help….

Over the course of my almost 13 years in people leadership, I’ve had the privilege to hire for multiple roles on my own team. I’ve also had the chance to conduct interviews on behalf of my peers who are seeking a new employee. In addition to this, I’ve spent countless hours mentoring individuals who are seeking a career change or new role.

All of these experiences and conversations with people at a pivotal point in their career search have given me some important insight on how to help you not completely fail the interview process. Keep in mind, I said, “not completely fail” as if I had the magic solution, I would myself have interviewed my way to CEO of Amazon by now!

Let me begin with the list of absolutely worst things you can do before, after, and during the interview process.

Don’t Show up late (apologize if you do)

As a hiring manager, I’ve hired people who have showed up late. I get it, traffic can be difficult in a major metropolitan city, you can park at the wrong parking garage, or you can end up on a slow elevator in the final minutes. There are a million reasons why someone would be late and we’re all humans. To say that we wouldn’t hire someone who showed up late would say that we are only seeking robots who are pre-programmed to fulfill every task and we know that isn’t accurate.

However, if you are going to show up late, you must do one simple thing as a result of the process. Apologize profusely until someone finally says enough. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve had candidates show up late and act like it wasn’t a big deal. It’s amazing how far a simple sincere apology can go. Also, don’t be afraid to address it post interview with your follow up note too.

But, do your absolute best to not show up late, because if you do, it’s strike 1 and 2 at most companies.

Don’t make shit up

I was once hiring for a new role in a new division of my company. During this interview process, I was one of about ten people who truly knew what the role was going to entail and what the future held for the org. We were building the plane while flying it and anyone from the outside would have had to do some serious research to truly understand what the role entailed. The worst thing you can do in an interview is make shit up and or quote verbatim off the company website when asked, “what do you know about our company.”

I’ve had candidates literally quote the job description when I asked them what they thought the responsibilities of this role were. While I can appreciate someone doing their research, just quoting that research verbatim sends a message that I’m not that important because you’re just quoting what you’ve read instead of making it yours.

When I ask about your experience, don’t make shit up. If you are stretching the truth about six things on your resume, odds are I’m going to sniff it out with a line of questioning because even the best pathological liar will struggle to remember what they wrote. If you were only responsible for two direct reports, don’t tell me a story about how you oversaw the entire outside sales operations team as a dotted line unless you truly had leadership responsibilities over them.

The point is, I will know you’re making shit up and it won’t be a good look in the end.

Don’t stack multiple interviews in a day

Interview fatigue is a real thing and if you’re trying to land your dream job, don’t tire yourself out. A few months out of college I can recall a day in which I stacked five interviews in one day. It was a nightmare as by the third interview I was gassed. I wasn’t able to be my best self and it showed.

I’ve had candidates who have literally told me they just came from a meeting with another company. I also want to feel like you’re courting me as one of your only employers. Make me feel special in the process like you really want to work for my company instead of just picking someone in the journey who will pay you the most or make the job offer first.

Don’t ask me that question at the end of the interview

“Is there anything that would stop you from hiring me now that you’ve had the chance to interview me?” You know who typically asks this question? The person who I don’t plan to hire. It’s an odd and awkward interview question and puts the hiring manager in a difficult position. Perhaps you are the best candidate for the job, the hiring manager isn’t going to blatantly say this to wrap things up.

What if your interview was a disaster? If you ask this question, you should be prepared to hear the honest answer. I once had a candidate ask me, “how would you rate my interview today on a scale or 1 to 5?” I told the candidate it was a 3 maybe a 3.5 at best. She was appalled at my answer and got immediately defensive. Why? She asked me for my feedback and I gave it. I then followed up with the reasons why. Her answers weren’t on point, her vision for the role was flawed, and she didn’t give me concrete reasons why she was the best candidate.

If you’re going to ask this question, be prepared for the answer you may not want to hear. In general, just refrain from asking it, it puts everyone in an awkward position.

Don’t waste our time together

We may only have one thirty minute session together, if you want to make a good impression, don’t waste a minute of it by gossiping about your former company or boss. If you are interviewing for a role in my company then I already know you’re either unhappy in your current role and or just seeking a growth opportunity. I don’t need to hear why you hate your current and or former boss and I don’t need to hear why you dislike your current and or former company.

This wastes our time together to talk about your experience and why you’re a fit for my role. Also, if you’re complaining about your previous experiences then you’re most likely going to eventually complain about experiences with me. Maximize our time together to tell me why you’re a great fit and showcase your talents. Give me a reason to hire you, not a reason to run.

Don’t mass send your thank you email

Dear Susan, Mike, Joe, James and Helen, thank you for the interview……

No! Don’t do this. It’s impersonal and fails to tie a knot on a personalized candidate experience. Even if you did a panel interview, you can still address your thank you note to each person on the panel because their questions and responses tied a unique connection back to you.

In your follow up, address each note with a personal touch and find a way to shed further light on a question they asked. Perhaps use this time to not only say thank you but double click on a question. In your note, provide a few details on your response or say thank you for asking the tough questions.

I can’t tell you the amount of these emails that I’ve received or hand written notes, that are generic and boring. If you’re going to say thank you, use this as your last opportunity to wow me at the end. I’ve received minor ($5) trinkets or gifts, pop up cards, and even videos saying thank you. These little things can go the extra mile and mean so much in the process.

If you’ve been doing any of these things, reverse the course in your next interview process and hopefully you’ll land that dream job soon!