Interviews and some thoughts on how to avoid common pitfalls

Despite the plethora of information out there we are constantly amazed by the number of candidates who are woefully unprepared for their upcoming interview. Talking points rehearsed? Check. Company and interviewer researched? Of course. Answers to tough questions practiced? Naturally. Psychological traits analysed? Sorry? What?

Without knowing it, you communicate your deep psychological beliefs, attitudes and weaknesses every time you open your mouth. My colleagues and I have interviewed hundreds of people who looked stellar on paper, but who exposed their hidden tendencies, issues and mental roadblocks as soon as they spoke.

As I understand it Cognitive Distortions are limiting or weak habits of thinking that are not accurate. Now we all suffer from these occasionally, but when they come to be how we see and interact with the world, they can prevent us from seeing things as they really are, which can limit our growth and success.

If you want to appear confident and project the right attitude then you’ll need to stop leaking negative psychological ticks. So here are a few ideas to help you through the next job interview:

1. Fallacy of Fairness. We feel angry and frustrated because we think we know what is fair, but life and other people won't agree with us.

Example: "I worked hard for my previous employer for three years but was still made redundant."

Here the applicant is angry and frustrated that their efforts were not rewarded when they thought they should have been. The reality may be that the company was forced to downsize because of the current European economy and their firing had nothing to do with the employee's work ethic. This cognitive distortion can come across as sounding whiny or complaining. Think of a six-year-old stomping their feet and proclaiming, "But that's not fair!"

2. Filtering. There is reality and then there is our interpretation of reality. They are always different. With this cognitive distortion, imagine seeing, hearing and experiencing the world through a special filter that highlights negative details and filters out all of the positive details.

Can you see the positive in an otherwise negative situation? This is a critical skill that is attractive to employers. Accept your responsibility for what went wrong, but look for anything that is positive from the event.

3. Control Fallacies. There are two types of control fallacies: Externally controlled and internally controlled. Externally controlled fallacies occur when we view our behaviour and success as something that is beyond our control (i.e., not generated from within but rather from something outside ourselves). In other words, we are helpless victims of fate and happenstance. Externally controlled beliefs sound like excuses. It shows that you have no personal responsibility for your life. Nobody wants to hire someone who constantly says it was bad luck, fate or just not in the cards when something goes wrong (or right!).

The internal control fallacy is the belief that somehow you are responsible for the pain, happiness, failures and successes of everyone around you.

Example: "Because of my involvement, our regional division was number one in sales for the entire company."

If you can back this up with data, this is a powerful statement that is sure to get attention. However, if you don't have the data, this statement is a red flag. It may mean that you are a bit narcissistic, prone to exaggeration or have the tendency to believe that you are personally responsible for the success of others -- all three of which are not what you want to communicate.

4. Always Being Right. We all know this guy (or gal), so please don't let it be you. Being wrong is unacceptable to them, and they will go to any length to demonstrate why they are right (and why you are wrong). While only a rookie will get into a power struggle with an interviewer, this cognitive distortion can come out when you describe your work history or when the conversation touches on your ex-bosses and co-workers.

Admit your mistakes. Own them. Don't minimize them or suggest you don't make any. Nobody wants to hire or work with a know-it-all ... especially when they don't.

5. Polarized Thinking (or "Black & White" Thinking). We are either perfect or we've failed. Like a light switch, it's either on or off -- there is no in between. This cognitive distortion shows a lack of mental flexibility and single-mindedness.

6. Blaming. Here, we hold other people responsible for our pain. It's always someone or something else that is responsible for our problems and mistakes.

It is beyond frustrating to hire someone who does not take responsibility for their actions and choices. Be a breath of fresh air and take responsibility -- at least some of the responsibility.

The fear applicants have is that, if they "own up" to any weaknesses or mistakes, then they won't be looked upon favourably, but the opposite is true.

Naturally, as with all things, there are some caveats about the interview process. Think of it like this -- When a candidate interviews with a company, it's much like a date - both try to impress each other and if all goes well an offer is extended and both work together. More often than not, especially in fields with a very high demand for candidates, many hiring managers will say whatever they can to convince their prospects that they are the "ideal" manager.

I suspect that we’ve lost count of the number of times that we’ve had hiring managers tell us that they are "hands off" managers who turn out to micro-manage their employees; ones who "encourage innovation", but when given new ideas to improve the bottom line, they immediately bristle; or assert they have an "open door policy" but then become tight-lipped when asked questions or hide in meetings to avoid their employees.

Every interview is a challenge, we hope that with some of these thoughts behind you the interview will be less stressful – possibly enjoyable – and improve your success rate along the way.

For more help or advice on interviews please talk with one of our consultants at www.chestertongray.com