Most Common Interview Mistakes
Typically when a client does a mock interview with me, it’s because they want to feel comfortable and prepared going in for the actual interview. In truth, there’s a lot more to it. During a mock interview, I observe how you respond and identify ways to improve before you go in for the real interview.
There are four common interview mistakes that I see mid-level to executive-level professionals make.
The vague answer. As you move up the career ladder you are usually responsible for teams, a larger budget, and elements of the bigger business picture. I’ve noticed over the years that this frequently translates to an inability to articulate specific examples of your work and what you actually do day to day. For example, you may say you’re responsible for a $200 million P&L. That’s fine, but you need to take that further. For example, what functions fall under you and how many people? Your interviewer needs to a visual snapshot rather than a simple vague statement that makes you sound just like other interviewees.
The long answer. Though I’m asking you to get more specific, it’s possible to provide too much context and detail. I don’t need the entire play by play. It’s a skill to be able to summarize a situation concisely and clearly when writing and speaking. Break each example down to focus on where, what, who, and the goal or result. I don’t need to know every person on the team, their title, what one person said to another person, and/or hear two or more examples. I want one concise example with enough detail to help me visualize and understand the context, what you did, and the goal or result.
The short answer. The other end of the spectrum is giving too short of an answer. For example, the interview asks, “have you managed a team?” Your answer: “yes, I managed a team of three people at Pfizer.” You need to expand on this response and tell me the roles those people held, what management of those people involved, and if you mentored or coached them to a promotion or new direction internally or an external position.
Examples that only show one or two strengths. This is a trap so many people fall into. What tends to happen is you answer the interviewer’s questions with examples that support only one skill. Perhaps you have strong communication skills, which is important for any job. One or two examples you use in your answers should show that, but other examples you use to answer different questions should show your other capabilities such as leadership, strategic planning, or financial acumen.