Three Common Interview Issues I See, And How To Fix Them

I have conducted scores of mock interviews over the last three years, in addition to actual interviews I’ve either conducted or participated in. Reflecting on those experiences, I believe three issues are the most prevalent and need to be addressed. They are: 1) talking about yourself, 2) providing examples to back up what you’re saying, and 3) asking quality questions of the interviewer. Let’s take these in turn. It is perhaps the most common interview question there is, and yet at the same time, causes the most anxiety and difficulty for interviewees. The question is, “Tell me about yourself,” or any of that question’s progeny. Why is it such a challenge? There are a number of reasons. I think the biggest one is how broad the question is, and determining not only what to say, but in how much detail. Obviously the interviewer isn’t asking for a verbal form of your 200 page biography, but at the same time they are wanting to get to know you better in that 60-120 second answer. There is some good news, however! Because you know it (or something like it) is coming, you can prepare. Nothing provides more (well-placed) confidence than practice and preparation, so use that to your advantage here. Spend some time going over the key points, twists, turns in your life, figure out which intertwine with strengths or experiences you prefer to highlight for the interviewer, and craft a concise and complete (meaning it has a defined end!) answer that is no more than 120 seconds. Speaking of strengths, I hear many in the interviews I conduct. Among law students the list often includes such traits as: hard worker, organized, detail oriented, oral advocate and written advocate. These are all great strengths to trumpet in an interview. The problem arises when the strength is all there is. If I am interviewing 21 students during OCI and I hear 21 strengths or lists of strengths, they are going to start running together at some point. Even if there is a particular strength I am looking for and I narrow down the field based up who gave the “right” answer, I still need to differentiate. The clearest way that distinction is made is when a candidate provides specific and on-point examples of the strength they just named. If four students mention detail oriented as their strength, but one follows it up with a story that underscores (dare I say proves?) that fact, that candidate is going to stand out over the others. Finally, perhaps the best way to make your mark in an interview is to ask excellent questions. Yet so few take advantage. The first pitfall to avoid is asking a bunch of process questions (i.e. When would the internship start? How much does it pay? When are you hoping to make a decision?). Nothing is wrong with these questions, per se. But you miss an opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the employer and preparation for the interview. What if instead of those questions above, you asked: “I noticed on your website that you recently brought in an oil/gas partner; do you see that as a growth practice area in the future that I might have an opportunity to work in?”, or “I saw where you were awarded as a best places to work in Dallas; to what do you attribute that impressive honor?” These are questions that demonstrate you know something about the employer, and you are curious and want to know more. I hope you’ll take advantage of a mock interview in the coming weeks so we can work together to improve and enhance your interview skills. There is so much more I can share in that forum that we simply don’t have the space for here. So don’t miss out! Connect with Daniel at Daniel_Hare@Baylor.edu and/or @BaylorLawDaniel on Twitter. Job of the Week: Each week I highlight a job in Symplicity you might be interested in but may have missed. This week's job is: Law Intern 2016 at BNSF Railway(2L, Fort Worth) Log in to Symplicity to view this job and apply. ]]>