When most people sit in a job interview, the last person they want to project is their true self. This is not to say that anyone intends to provide any false or misleading information about talents, experience, or skills. The intent of people who interview for a job is to project the most positive aspects of their personality and skills possible, while avoiding being trapped into providing too much negative information about their past efforts. If the practice of interviewing is examined with a critical eye, it is more focused on bringing together potential resources to determine if there is a fit. Both the interviewer and the candidate come together to pursue a dialog with a specific agenda. You are not arriving at an interview to visit with trusted friends and share intimate stories about what has been going on with you lately, no matter how relaxed the atmosphere may appear to be. Most people arrive feeling somewhat nervous and apprehensive about the sort of questions they will be tasked to answer, and hoping they will be able to effectively demonstrate how their background matches the requirements of this potential new opportunity.

Just as the interviewer will be looking to surface both the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate, a skilled candidate should be paying equally strong attention to the chinks in company armor, to evaluate whether or not they will truly want to associate with this potential workplace. An interview is like any other kind of negotiation between people. Both sides of the table will be equipped with strengths and weaknesses, and each party will be trying to accomplish the best possible situation for themselves in coming to an agreement. The company will be engaged in pumping up its value to you, and you will be engaged in convincing them of your own ultimate worth to them. At the same time they are trying to find the red flags that show them you are or are not what they are looking for, you should be equally ready to discover the warnings that let you know whether or not you truly want what the company has to offer.

One of the most frequent mistakes made by candidates is to immediately place themselves in the