Not answering interview questions correctly.
What is the best way to fail an interview?
Not keeping answers tight and concise.
It is important to listen carefully to the question, pause and reflect as to the best way to answer, and then deliver a succinct answer that is easy for the interviewer to follow.
Do not feel the urge to fill silence with dialogue.
Use "STAR" format to keep answers tight and to show that you understand the entire process from identifying a problem to the results of the solution. These types of answers also respect the time and work load of the interviewer as well as it provides the interviewer with a much easier answer for them to follow and comprehend.
Do not give an interviewer a reason to daydream.
Interviewers would much rather a person that answers questions directly, than someone who is too focused on building rapport with the interviewer, or trying to package their skills and experience in a presentation that they think will best sell themselves to the interviewer.
There is no question that culture fit is important, but a person needs to be able to do the job first and foremost.
At the point where the skill set has been assessed and determined to be appropriate, the interviewer will then start to ask themselves about the fit of the candidate.
Once competence is established, the interview might ask another behavioral question but instead of listening to the answer they will be asking themselves, "Would this person fit in here?
Do I see this person working well with Pete in Accounting or Sue in Marketing?"
Do not try to establish fit before competence!
It will not work in your favour.
Other advise on what to avoid in an interview
1.
Do not state the interviewers first name repeatedly in your answers in an attempt to connect.
You are not selling a used car so avoid trying to kiss the rear end of the interviewer.
2.
When asked about specific experience, do not rattle off numerous examples and progress into minute details about some projects and list off other projects by only name.
This approach is sometimes used to smokescreen and express considerable experience in appropriate areas, but it will usually come across as someone not knowing what points are most important, and delivering an answer that is not focused or satisfactory to come from an executive.
3.
Vague and broad examples to show considerable experience are also not effective.
"Well that is all I do and I am responsible for that entire area." or "I have done that for the last 10 years."
This offensive approach is used to head off lines of specific questioning by pretending to be an expert.
Tell the interviewer what is specifically tied to your mandate in that area because a good candidate can clearly explain what is in their control and is not threatened by a question.
A vague response tells the interviewer that you do not want to reveal what experience you actually have or don’t have.
4.
Don't jump around from point to point or answer a previous question again because a different answer has just arrived.
Make the interviewers job easy.
If there is no flow to the interview or the interviewer is needing to repeat or re-phrase questions, they are likely already thinking about the next candidate that they will be interviewing for the same position.
Farewell,
Mike