Blog Post: Stop Talking, Already.

I’m often asked about interviewing – what to say, what not to say, the usual. When you’re preparing for an interview, ask yourself if you’re saying TOO MUCH. When an employer asks, “Tell me about yourself”, that is not a green light to go on for five minutes about your ceramic kitty collection or your devotion to your kids or your weekend escapades. They want to know about your professional self. Use a two-minute (maximum) speech that incorporates what skills specifically you can bring to this job. What have you done before that relates to what you will be doing. What related schooling do you have. Why you think you are perfect for this job. And then, STOP TALKING. Ask if the interviewer would like more background information. Chances are, they don’t. They want to get to specific questions.

I understand, I’m a nervous talker myself. If there’s silence, I want to fill it. And it can lead to embarrassing admissions, bad jokes and awkward giggling. But it is an interview-killer to describe in detail the exact reasons why you were let go from your last job and that your boss “just had it in for you because she was jealous and anyway, you had to cover for her because she didn’t know what she was doing and just because she’s the CEO’s cousin’s niece she got her job and somebody had to be let go because they lost the account, but it totally wasn’t fair and so not your fault.” What did I say before? Oh yeah, STOP TALKING.

“Why did you leave your last job?”

• My position unfortunately was eliminated after a key account left our company.
• In an effort to cut costs, my full-time position was replaced by two part-time workers.
• The company’s culture and management was changing and I was uncomfortable with its new direction.

Let’s say you were fired under less than desirable circumstances or have something in your past that could hinder your chances for hire. Don’t lie about it. The employer will find out and you definitely WON’T be hired. A good strategy: When asked about it, take responsibility for your actions and move on.

Example: You have a misdemeanor on your record. You were young, it happens. But if an employer asks about any criminal history, simply say, “I have made some poor choices in the past, but I took responsibility for my actions, made restitution and that part of my life is over.” Then, STOP TALKING.

A good interviewee is clear and concise. Practice your “tell me about yourself” speech. Practice your responses for all the general interview questions. Okay, don’t be so practiced as to sound robotic, but having a few anecdotes at your fingertips will help ease your anxiety.

I realize there are people out there for whom this is not an issue because they have the opposite problem of speaking in two-word monosyllabic sentences. This is not for you. You, my friend, are a harder nut to crack.

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