Can talking get excessive on an interview?
Ten years of experience compressed into few pages long, tons of skill sets and certifications summarized in a few paragraphs, sentences reduced to phrases and bullet points and the list goes on and on; this is what most of us have been compelled to do to conform to the accepted resume standard these days – typically two to three pages as most recruiters suggest. And then finally comes the moment you have been waiting for, an opportunity to talk about the ten years’ worth of wonderful experiences and skills.
How do you summarize ten years of experience in one hour? Obviously you would be tempted to say a lot because you don’t know which point will hit home. But does selling oneself have to be done at every point during the interview? Can it be excessive, unnecessary or out of place? When should you stop talking? When should you not sell yourself?
Having experienced both sides of the table I will say there is no one-size-fit-all answer to these questions just as there is no cookie-cutter approach to answering interview questions.
The key is listening and watching your interviewer(s) for cues and also making sure your thoughts are organized to avoid rambling on and on.
So when should you stop talking?
- When the interviewer interrupts: An interviewer would typically interrupt if you are not answering the question or you are not making sense (talking off point). This sometimes happens when people don’t understand the question asked. It is okay to ask that the question be repeated than to sound stupid. It is also okay to politely request to move on to the next question and come back to that question later.
- When the question requires a “Yes” or “No”: Be mindful of the time and your interviewer’s body language. A question like “are you flexible to work different shifts” may not need you to go into details of how you have done this in the past. Selling will be unnecessary in this case.
- When you have said all there is to say: And yes it is possible to have said everything there is to say. How do you know? It is simple. Organize your thoughts in such a way that every answer you give has an introduction, the main message and a conclusion. In other words, here is what I want to say, you say it (as concise as possible), then do a recap. You know you have said all there is to say on that topic when you have given a recap.
In conclusion, organize your thoughts, be concise and avoid details that are not necessary for your interviewer’s consumption.
Remember, you want to make a good impression and most importantly a long lasting one. An opportunity once lost may never be regained.
