Outlining Interview Scenarios You Can Expect: Sizing Up Audience Reaction

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If an actor is doing comedy and no one's laughing, the actor needs to change the lines or the delivery. Similarly, if you notice your audience (a potential employer) is disinterested, try to switch the subject and save the show.

How can you tell how your act is going over? Watch for obvious signs of in-attention: The interviewer's eyes are glazed over, or the interviewer fiddles with desk objects, for example.

Showstoppers

Following the main question segment of the interview, Chris's interviewer lapses into lengthy praise of the company and the job. But, unlike Cory's experience, the body of the interview had gone wonderfully well, and Chris realizes that an offer is imminent. The interviewer isn't just filling time talking about the company — the interviewer is selling Chris!

Chris smiles and listens attentively.

The interviewer does have a few concerns — Will Chris be able to handle the travel the job requires? This job calls for about two days of travel a week, but the requirement is flexible. Will that be a problem?

Chris overcomes the concern by expressing a genuine interest in traveling and then re-encapsulates the other strengths that point toward a perfect job-applicant match. The interviewer's relief shows — Then the commute won't be a problem for you?

Absolutely not! Chris confirms.

Clunkers and bloopers

Cory's interviewer spends a lot of time discussing the company and the job and asks very few questions — the interviewer is filling time until Cory can be decently dumped; the interviewer has already lost interest. Cory still has a slim chance of putting the interview back on track, but Cory doesn't notice the warning signals of disinterest.

Cory misses nonverbal clues, too: When the bored interviewer begins tapping fingers on the desk, Cory doesn't say — Would you rather hear more about my computer programming work or my international marketing studies? Cory doesn't notice two more negative body-language signals when the interviewer crosses arms and leans back.

To top it off, Cory fails to observe how the interviewer is phrasing judgments, clearly implying that Cory is not under consideration. The interviewer says — Many people have a problem handling all the travel required; frankly, the traveling is too heavy a burden.

Cory nixes all chances at salvaging the job opportunity by agreeing — Yeah, I'm really not much for travel. I like to stick around home with my friends and family. Cory has never understood that once you're in a hole, it's time to stop digging.

Critic's review

Follow these tips to keep your interviewer's attention:

• Pay close attention to your audience. Observe body language. Note subject matter and how comments are phrased.
• When you think the decision on you is thumbs down, try a last-chance statement:

  Because I'm very interested in this job, I want to be sure that you have all the information you need to make a positive decision on my candidacy. Would you be interested in hearing more about my —?

• Note how interviewers ask touchy questions. The interviewers phrased the question about travel negatively in Cory's interview and positively in Chris's interview. The negative shading implied that Cory just didn't fit the job. Take a hint or move to overcome objections.
• Avoid money talk until you have a job offer. Money wasn't a factor in the examples of Cory and Chris because the interviewer didn't raise the issue.