Some tech professionals just can’t seem to perform well in job interviews, even when they take the time to prepare. They may look great on paper—and meet most of the requirements for the positions they’re pursuing—but still fail one interview after another.
Why does this happen? One big reason is the communication skills that lead to success in a technical role don’t consistently translate to success in a job interview.
In a job interview, for instance, you need to deliver a clear and concise elevator pitch highlighting the value you offer, your character, and what makes you unique if you want to influence a hiring manager, explained Eric Ribbentrop, an experienced recruiter and director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships for A2MAC1.
If you’re like many tech professionals, you’re not an expert in these kinds of “sales skills.” Nevertheless, you'll have to get over the interview hump to land an offer. In that spirit, we offer some of the most common reasons why great tech candidates are terrible interviewers and some ways to improve performance.
You’re Rusty
If you’ve just graduated from college or haven’t interviewed in a while, you may not perform at the top of your game.
Professionals who don’t interview often can be nervous and have a hard time responding to questions, explained Kate Cook, senior recruiter for Wolters Kluwer. Your lackluster performance may sink your chances of landing an offer.
Cook, who is willing to advocate for qualified candidates who are bad at interviewing, suggests that you disclose your nervousness or lack of recent interviewing experience up-front.
“If you don’t mention it, your nervousness could be interpreted as a lack of interest,” Cook warned. It’s better to be transparent and honest than to leave your demeanor up to interpretation.
You’re Way Outside Your Comfort Zone
Maybe you haven’t been blessed with the gift of gab. Or you spend most of your time communicating with stakeholders and teammates about purely technical issues, so you don’t know how to connect your strengths and experience with a future employer’s mission, vision and core values.
The bottom line is that you’re uncomfortable in an interview setting… and it shows. Ribbentrop suggests that you adapt your communication skills by going on a few “practice” interviews for jobs just outside your reach.
By trying to convince a hiring manager that you’re qualified for a stretch position, and potentially enduring small failures, you’ll raise your skill and comfort level, and perform better when you finally interview for a job that you really want. Always remember that interviewing can be developed through study, practice and the application of key fundamentals.
You’re Overconfident
Some tech pros are so convinced that they are a perfect fit for a position, and clearly match all the requirements, that they bomb the interview. It’s a drawback of the “easy apply” process that encourages a larger pool of candidates to apply for a job.
The problem is that overconfident candidates tend to under-prepare, Cook said. They assume that their resume speaks for itself, so they don't study the job description carefully and come ready to have a conversation, ask intelligent questions about the opportunity, and figure out how they can make a difference in the role. When you treat an interview like a slam dunk, it makes you seem disinterested and unenthusiastic.
You Really, Really Want the Job
Candidates who really, really want the job can get too amped-up before an interview and overthink their answers. In fact, research shows that anxiety and stress can impair cognitive ability.
On the other hand, candidates with a more neutral attitude toward an opportunity are able to relax, improvise and express their thoughts and feelings out loud.
Don’t let unbridled enthusiasm impair your performance. If you really, really want the job, mention that up-front. Putting your preferences on the table from the outset, and exhibiting favorable qualities like humility and honesty, can help you steer the conversation toward why you feel so great and focus on what you can contribute to the role, the team and the company.
The Interviewer is Looking for Someone Who Checks All the Boxes
When managers are short-staffed and pressured for results, they just want someone who can hit the ground running and make a contribution right away. As a result, they tend to favor candidates who don’t require training and who can easily fit into the team.
Plus, most tech managers don’t interview every day. No one’s taught them how to assess the human element—a candidate’s potential and ability to learn outside of a real work setting—so they stick with what they know.
While this isn’t an easy situation to turn around, your best bet is to try to jar the hiring manager into thinking outside the box. How? Don’t be afraid to shake things up.
Ask questions that make the manager think about their situation and how their hiring decisions are working out. For instance, ask about staff turnover and the effect it has on morale or code releases, or how this role relates to the business plan.
Fail or succeed, you have nothing to lose… so you might as well enjoy disrupting the hiring process by asking the manager questions that get them thinking and push them outside their comfort zone.
