Go with it: Improvised moments can make a good interview great
Job interviews can be very scripted events, so when job candidates see a chance to make an original point, they either jump right in or overthink it enough to avoid it altogether. But there is a way to find some middle ground.
“Nothing is unplanned during an interview,” says Gregory Small, a career coach based in Dallas. “Even your improvised moments have to be somewhat rehearsed.”
But when do you share those moments? “Well, you could wait until the very end of the interview when you’re asked ‘Is there anything else?’ but by that point, it’s too late,” Small says. “Your interviewer is already shuffling through her papers, looking at her watch and mentally moving on to the next job candidate.”
In those didn’t-say-it scenarios, the interviewees find themselves scrambling to somehow convey that information after the interview. “People send extensive emails, they leave long voicemail messages or in some cases, they ask if they can get a second chance,” Small says. “None of these methods are effective because they occur out of the moment. They arrive after perceptions are created and decisions are made. Job interviews are perfect little capsules for a recruiter and they don’t need to re-open that capsule because you forgot to tell them about the time you spent an entire night bailing out water at your last job because a pipe burst.”
And that’s unfortunate, Small says. “We’ve made the mistake of turning the job interview into something routine, almost clinical — something that is focused on tailored answers to typical questions, and something that has a definite start and stop,” he says. “There’s very little room to improvise.”
Small says job candidates should always have a small index card that lists five things they want to convey before the interview is over — an index card, Small stresses, not the screen of your phone. “You can keep it under your portfolio or in your pocket or keep the same note on your computer screen, and just take an occasional glance,” Small says. “It helps keep you on track and ensures that you’ll say what you want to say before the interview is finished.”
If you find it difficult to find a spot to do a little career boasting, politely ask for an opportunity to tell your story. Say something as simple as ‘Can I please tell you about the time I did this or that” and wait for permission. Most job interviewers appreciate the chance to go rogue. Interviewers are always looking for ways to pull out new pieces of information from their job candidates so don’t make them work so hard. Offer the most inspiring information about yourself that you can, and you’ll give them something to think about. You’ll get them off script and if you’re confident, accomplished and qualified, that’s when you can really work your magic.