Page 57 - You're Hired! Interview Answers

You’Re hiRed! inteRview
46
anSweRS you must refer to notes, you need to position their use very carefully, for
example by explaining that you just want to make sure you are accurate
about numbers, or that you want to make sure you have remembered
events in the right order. Our advice would be to avoid using notes if at all
possible.
n Inappropriate use of humour. You need to be very sure of your ground –
and your talent in positioning jokes – before you risk throwing in the odd
funny story or pun. You cannot know the interviewer’s sense of humour
and you are as likely to get it wrong as to get it right. An interview is no
place to be taking this kind of risk.
Being authentic and credible
The interviewer will be more reassured about your answers, and therefore your
capabilities, if they feel they are dealing with the ‘real’ you. In other words, the
more authentic and credible you can be, the better. What does this mean in
practice?
n Try to avoid putting on an act. The more you can let your natural style of
interaction come through, the better. The interviewer won’t feel that they
are having to see behind a mask.
n Use self-disclosure. Share information about yourself (appropriately!)
as a way of demonstrating that you are open and honest. Volunteering
information in this way has a powerful impact in terms of authenticity
and credibility; not only does it show that you are not trying to hide
anything, but it also shows that you have the confidence to recognise some
(hopefully minor) flaws. Self-disclosure, when well used, also gives you the
chance to demonstrate self-awareness; this always impresses, because if
you can show a degree of objectivity about yourself, the interviewer is likely
to get the impression that you can apply this same skill more broadly in
their business.
n Build trust. Even the most affable interviewer is constantly monitoring how
much trust they can have in your answers, how much you are exaggerating
your attributes, how honest you are being. Once you lose trust it is almost
impossible to win it back in the short time you have available, so don’t
put it at risk! Don’t lay claim to experience that you don’t have, and don’t
pretend to have knowledge that you don’t have. Remember that the
interviewer doesn’t have to catch you out in an untruth – all they have to