Babbling is for babies, not interviews
Excerpted from The Truth about Getting Your Point Across...and
Nothing But the Truth
Some years back I was interviewing candidates for a financial
analyst position. One of my interviews was with a gentleman who
was already a company employee but was looking for a new job
within the company. I started out the interview with the
question, "What interests you about this job?" The fellow
started into a response, and then launched into tangents about
his family, prior jobs, and personal interests. About five
minutes into the interview I'd already made my decision to not
hire the guy, but I was intrigued by his verbal meandering. I
decided to let him keep going just to see where he would go. He
finally stopped talking 30 minutes after I asked him my original
question. My next question to him was "Do you realize you talked
non-stop for 30 minutes?" Before he could launch into another
wandering discourse, I thanked him for stopping by and told him
that I didn't think he was right for the job. He very well might
have had the technical and business skills needed to do the job,
but because he babbled on and on without clarity of thought he
was declined.
The demonstration of clear, concise thoughts through responses
to interview questions is a major factor for your interviewer in
deciding whether or not to hire you. When responding to
questions, your interviewer is not only listening to your
answers but also imagining you talking with colleagues,
suppliers, customers, or executives. If you, as an interviewee,
aren't able to respond with crisp, concise, thoughtful answers
during an interview, imagine how you would come off in a major
customer presentation? You may have some insightful things to
say, but if they get lost in long, meandering responses then
you're going to seal your fate as a declined candidate.
Next time you interview for a job, keep the following things in
mind:
* Target your responses around a key message - When asked a
question, formulate your response around a key message or a
series of key messages. State your key message first, and then
provide a couple of sentences which support the key message.
Know what your key message is before you start talking,
otherwise your response will meander.
* Watch the interviewer for frustration - Look for cues that the
interviewer is impatient, confused, or bored. The best
interviews I've done have been where an interviewee captured my
interest by a stating a key message and we were just able to
talk. Look to capture an interviewer's interest; if he or she
doesn't look interested, wrap up your point and stop talking. *
Keep eye contact with the interviewer - Keeping eye contact with
the interviewer will help you to stick to your key message
because you won't get distracted. Keeping eye contact also
demonstrates conviction and confidence. Wandering eyes feel
evasive and can contribute to babbling.
* Take a breath before you respond - Let the interviewer finish
his question before you start responding. Take a second after
the question, get your key message in your head, then start your
answer. Being too eager to answer the question will contribute
to drifting from your key message and will brand you as being
rude.
* Don't argue with yourself - Don't play point/counter-point
with yourself. When asked a question, formulate your key message
and take a stand in your response. It's OK to briefly identify
the other side of an argument, but make sure you state a key
message and don't give the perception that you are indecisive.
* Provide context to your answers - Don't just give "yes" or
"no" - type answers without providing a bit of context behind
the response. The interviewer not only wants to know what your
answer is, but something about why you think the way you do. Be
cautious about drifting on and on with your answer; make a
couple of statements that support your key message then clam up.
* Ask your interviewer for feedback - At the end of the
interview, consider asking the interviewer to provide some
feedback to you on how they think the interview went.
Specifically ask about the quality and conciseness of your
responses. Just be careful not to get into an argument about the
interviewer's feedback; listen politely and thank them for the
feedback. Don't create a negative impression with the
interviewer because you argued or got defensive over any
feedback you received.
It's easy when nervous or excited to babble on and on and lose
focus in your responses to questions. Formulate key messages,
keep eye contact, watch your interviewer, and take a stand with
your responses. You'll better engage your interviewer, captivate
interest, and help to secure the job you want.