Ten Ways To Guarantee The Interviewer Won't Forget You

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It's easy to forget that the worst mistake you can make in a job interview is not to give a "meh" answer to one of the interviewer's questions, to wear the wrong tie or to stumble over your words.

Everybody experiences bobbles in a job interview. Everybody stumbles a little bit, goes on a little too long in their story-telling or says something they didn't mean to say. That's all normal stuff.

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The biggest mistake you can make in a job interview is to be so docile and compliant that you disappear into the chair. When you do that, the interviewer may forget ever having met you — ten minutes after you leave the building.

When our brains are not stimulated they wander. We can't help it. Everyone knows how it feels to try and stay focused in a boring meeting. It's excruciating. Job interviews work the same way.

When the candidate sitting opposite you gives mealy-mouthed, timid answers to your questions (not insulting questions like "Why should we hire you?" or "What's your greatest weakness?" but ordinary, human questions like "What did you like about your last job?") it's very hard to stay in the conversation.

Your mind wanders, whether you want it to or not. If you don't show up in your power, the hiring manager's mind will leave the conversation in a heartbeat.

The manager will be smiling at you and nodding as you speak, but they're thinking about other topics, like "If I get out of this interview within 50 minutes I can stop at the dry cleaner before I hit the gym. That would be awesome!"

You have to keep the interviewer engaged with you.

You have to think about that, because the tendency is to be so meek and mild in the interview that the interview becomes a chore for the interviewer. Their body might stay in the room with you when that happens, but their thoughts will be a million miles away.

You have to keep the interviewer's brain working. How do you do that? Simple — make the conversation about them, not you! Here's an example:

Interviewer: So Chuck, what interested you in this position?

You (Chuck): It's the company and its growth, for sure. I would applied for any of about ten different roles that you might have advertised for. I've been reading about Angry Chocolates for a couple of years and it's been fantastic to see you guys growing so fast.

Interviewer: Great, that's awesome. What do you know about us so far?

You: I know you started here in Fayetteville and by now you have six locations. You were one of the area's fastest-growing companies in 2015 and 2016 and maybe again this year. You launched an e-commerce site this year. Is that site still one of your priorities for 2018?

Interviewer: We're into the second generation of that site already but of course, we always have a long wish list of features we'd like to see.

You: I'd love to hear about your wish list.

Interviewer: Well, of course the whole team doesn't 100% agree on the top wish list items yet but I'll give you my view. From a usability perspective I feel like we need to make a few changes...

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You brought the interviewer right into the heart of the issue — the reason he got approval to hire a new person in the first place. Now he cares about your conversation. You might have some nuggets of wisdom for him, and even if you don't it's calming to talk through your problems with another person.

You cannot be passive in a job interview if you want to be memorable and significant to the person who may well become your new boss.

Here are ten ways to make sure you and your interview are not forgotten the minute you walk out the door.

1. As you start the interview, don't sit down passively and prepare to answer questions. That is a fine approach if you are interviewing for your first full-time job, but it's not a good strategy at any point after that. Instead of slipping easily into the Good Little Job Seeker role, ask your interviewer a question as the conversation begins, like "Which departments are based in this facility?" or "I saw your fantastic new ad campaign — how is it performing for you so far?"

2. When appropriate — and it is more often appropriate than not —answer the interviewer's question with a question. This only works when you are interviewing with your department manager. Don't answer a question with a question when you're meeting with an HR screener or anyone who doesn't really know the job description.  Here's how to do it:

Hiring Manager: So, how long have you been using SplitFrame Systems?

You: About a year, mostly creating presentation graphs — how do you use SplitFrame tools here?

3. Your principal job on the interview is not to crow about your accomplishments because honestly, your manager can't care about your triumphs unless they look and sound like solutions to their problems. Rather, your job is to get your manager talking about their Business Pain. That's why you have to walk into the interview already having done enough research to have formulated a Pain Hypothesis.

4. You're not going to startle the manager with your Pain Hypothesis, a la "Here's what I think your problem is!" This is a terrible idea because it creates tension when what you want is empathy and understanding. You want your manager to know that you understand their problems, as any sensitive person would.

5. As tempting as it is to tell your manager exactly how to solve their problem, you're not going to do that either. If your do, your ideas will be the star of the show and you'll be forgotten the minute the interview is over. Rather than lay out "Here's what I would do to solve your problem" you will tell a story about a time when you solved a similar problem for an employer or client. If they ask you "How would you solve my problem?" tell them the process you would follow to arrive at the right answer.

6. Even if it takes all your strength, resist the urge to trumpet your fabulousness at the interview. Hiring managers are not impressed by people who see themselves as impressive. The only person who would hire you for your sterling credentials is a fearful manager who thinks your fantastic resume will make them feel less helpless and alone. Instead of crowing about your accomplishments, empathize with your manager and keep the focus on them -- and their most vexing issues.

7. Don't be afraid to be human — to tell a joke [an appropriate one, of course], share a vulnerability of yours ("You're looking at my LinkedIn profile? Oh no, it's out of date — I have to update that thing!") or mention something human and ordinary like the fact that you've got to leave promptly at five so you can get to your kid's softball practice. You don't have to be stiff and formal just because you're in a job interview. If the manager can't deal with your human qualities, do you really want to work for them?

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8. You will be more solid and significant in the interview when you feel prepared. Don't skimp on  your pre-interview research, which might take one to three hours depending on how deeply you want to dig. You're not researching the firm so you can answer questions you might be asked at the interview — that's how grade school kids are taught to study. The purpose of your research is to give you a fuller picture of the organization, the industry and even this manager. Your research will give you ideas for questions to ask at the interview — to learn what this company is up to and where they're struggling.

9. The more you can think and speak like a consultant during your interview, the better. Consultants know that they are credible when they sit firmly in the chair. After a while good consultants stop caring whether they get a particular engagement or not. They have enough confidence in themselves to know the right clients will hire them and the wrong ones won't. It's exactly the same for you as a job seeker!

10. Finally, remember that a job interview is a two-way street. They are checking you out and you are checking them out, too. You can't afford to waste your time and talent working for just any company or just any manager. You have standards at least as high as their standards. Stay cool, keep breathing during the interview and remember: only the people who get you, deserve you!