If there’s one thing to do during an interview it’s this…

I dislike interviews (with me as the interviewee – I’m a contractor, so I get quite a lot of reminders how much I dislike them): I’ve had some awful ones; where the interviewer has plainly told me they don’t like me; where I’ve frozen up and not known what to say; where I’ve been told they’re gonna offer the position to the previous candidate (but might as well go through the motions with me now I’m here); where I’ve been way out of my depth (normally having been sent in there by a lying recruiter).

And I’ve developed a fairly thick skin.

For a long time now, I take the approach of “just being me”, and they either hire me, or not – no harm, no foul. Needless to say, if you knew me, you’d know that wasn’t a great tactic for me to get a job – but I’d rather get turned down for jobs I’m not right for, than start and get sacked a few weeks in coz I pretended to be someone they liked.

Anyway. Although I’m fairly ambivalent about interviews, but I do still get very down and frustrated if I think that the role would be perfect for me, but they don’t think I’m right for the role. I still recall one interview that I thought went AWESOMELY – they loved me, I nailed it. It was in the bag.

Until I got a phone call from the agent – nope… they didn’t think I could do part of the job; part they never mentioned in the interview as being required, that had they, I would have regaled them with my suitability for.

Clawing at the recruiter to go back to them with this information; it was too late, they’d offered to someone else.

The question

So now, I always end an interview by asking, when they say, “well… is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

Boom.

Simple.

Firstly, I’m showing great confidence (try it, it’s a hard question to ask). Secondly, I’m showing that I’m keen for the role, and am looking to remove any blockers.

This gives them a chance to reflect on their impression of me and clarify any nagging doubts. Which gives you a chance to finish the interview with a positive impression (gotta love that recency effect).

The extra benefit is that if they say “No, it’s all good”, it means one of two things:

1. You’re gonna get the job - or at least, unless there’s someone better suited. But you could do no better than your best, so nothing to be ashamed of.

2. They reject you over some detail, which proves they’re lying scumbags (they told you to your face there were no concerns…), who don’t even have the integrity to talk to you honestly. So you don’t have to feel bad about not getting the job, because you didn’t want to work for liars anyway! ;-)

Win, win.

PS Obviously, if you don’t want the job by the end of the interview, don’t ask The Question!