Myths About Interviews
Recently, a friend told me how she failed an interview. It was so bad that she was depressed. In her own words, "I felt humiliated." (Have you ever felt that way after an interview?) When she made that statement, everything about her countenance and attitude were in consonance; she felt "humiliated" for the same interview she spent weeks preparing for.
During our conversation, I found out the issue was not one of the regular issues with interviews. She had welcomed some myths before the interview which I want to dissect in this blog.
• A good resume automatically gets you the job;
Too much weight has been put on the value of a good resume. If you have a LinkedIn account, you must have been weary of the number of users who claim to be "resume experts." They would usually say something along these lines: "Aren't you tired of having your resume thrown out by the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?", "You should have secured a 7-figure job by now if you allowed us to revamp your resume" and "Ace your next interview with our standard resume."
Here is the main issue with that: no matter how good your resume is, your communication skills, along with other important abilities, would be tested. So, a good resume isn't all you need.
• Including personal details is always a plus;
Many have argued that including personal details like marital status, religion and state of origin may have a good use at the deciding table. This claim is superfluous! In addition, this could even be the reason you would not be considered for a position if the interviewer has a biased mindset against your ethnic group. This may be a hindrance.
• Knowing an insider always ends in your favor;
I know some applicants who have lost a job offer because they confirmed they knew a member of staff during an interview. Why? Because some companies don't appreciate being invited by a member of staff.
• Sounding very smart is always a good idea;
Now, please don't get me wrong. You can't afford to sound stupid during an interview. You must sound as smart as an African Gray Parrots, but you don't have to talk like them. Recall you are there to be interviewed by the human resource manager, not there to interview him. So, keep it short and simple. Some applicants go as far as interrupting the HR managers because they want to get something off their chests. Most times, the manager also tries as much as possible to get such applicants off their offer list.
• Asking too many questions augurs well;
Yes, the ideal thing to do during an interview is to ask questions, especially when the floor is open for you to do so. This is when the interviewer asks, “So, do you have any questions?” Simply say something like, "Yes, I do." And then, go ahead and ask your question. Probably one or two; three at most, I wouldn't suggest anything other than three. This is because the interviewer expects you must have visited their site to find out about their company.
Questions like, "When do you close daily?" is a real no-no because that must have been expressly stated on their sites. You are only at liberty to ask if they are not mentioned on their sites. This, therefore, makes making inquiries about things that are already on their sites a no-no.
• Great performance at an interview automatically gets you the “offer letter”;
I went for an interview one time, I did so well that I could have sworn I would get the job. But, after waiting for about three months without feedback, I understood better. Why didn't I get a callback or an offer letter? Unknown reasons. However, from my background check, I was informed they had hoped that a worker was going to relocate but she later changed her mind. That taught me a huge lesson: performing well at an interview is no guarantee you would get a job — especially if you haven't been given an offer letter. Anything can happen.
To be on the safe side, don't rely on your performance during an interview to determine your stance after the interview. The best assurance is an offer letter which may also be retrieved if the company finds discrepancies in your claims during their background checks.
Thank you for reading!
By Murphy Irehovbude.