Trapped in Transition: Don’t Derail Your Next Interview

We all know that career transitions are difficult. You go into an interview assuming that there will be skepticism, and that the hiring manager or recruiter is looking for reasons to exclude you from the mix of candidates because you aren’t working or you are trying to enter a new field and your credentials aren’t an exact fit. This is where transition candidates lose the opportunity; when they approach a job opportunity from a point of weakness, inwardly saying to themselves, “I am not worthy.”

Candidates in transition often are their own worst enemy largely because they ARE in transition. They lack their usual self-assurance and assume an air or quiet desperation that sabotages the interview. Last week I read a blog entry profiling this phenomenon from the Candidate’s Chair. Blogger Mark Richards describes some insights he gathered from Marcia Ballinger of Keystone Search about the difference between candidates with jobs and those in transition.

According to Ballinger, there are some distinct behavioral differences that candidates in transition display during a job interview. Like it or not, these unconscious clues usually lead to the candidates’ downfall:

1. The candidate talks more than listens. They are usually nervous and on the defensive.
2. They don’t wait for the speaker to finish before answering a question.
3. They quickly assume that the position is exactly what they want, without hearing more. They are desperate for a job so they aren’t worried about pounding a round peg into a square hole.
4. Their responses are usually less consider and glib, lacking any depth of thought.
5. They talk faster, as though trying to squeeze in more information to close a sale.
6. They lean forward taking a more aggressive posture.
7. They are seeking to persuade the interviewer, not understand their needs.

As Richards points out, when you are competing for an opening, you don’t have to be perfect but you do have to be better than the next guy:

“Much like that old joke about when you and buddy are being chased by a bear, you don’t have to run faster than the bear, just your buddy. When it comes to hiring, the candidate selected is not the best at everything, they are simply better than the other candidates.”

To be perceived as better than the other candidates, you need to control your anxiety and project your competence with confidence. Here’s the behavior to adopt for a successful job interview:

1. Be selective. Candidates who aren’t in transition are choosey; they can afford to be.
2. Wait to be convinced, instead of trying to convince them. Assume you are right for the role.
3. You should be genuinely interested in learning more about the job to determine if it is a good fit; don’t assume it’s a fit.
4. When you are employed, an interview is usually perceived as a business meeting of peers. Approach the situation as though you are talking to an equal, because you are. Don’t assume that because you are in transition you are at a disadvantage. Rather, stand on your expertise.
5. Try to put the hiring manager at ease as though they were talking to a staff member, not a salesman or an outsider.

Projecting the image that you don’t need the job and you can walk away gives you an advantage in an interview setting. It puts the interviewer on the defensive to convince you to consider the job. Take control of the interview by adopting a positive attitude, “I can take it or leave it,” and you will improve your chances. Better to approach from a position of strength and find the right position than going through the interview process again a year from now.