What do I wear? How should I answer this question? How long will this take? Inherent questions that always bombard your brain before a job interview.
If you’re a good job seeker, you’ll take your suit or dress to the cleaners, overthink and possibly worry needlessly over your answers and you will arrive early for your interview.
So, what could possibly throw you off your game? The type of interviewer you get…
When you finally sit down at the conference table or in a chair in their office, their line of questioning and attitude will alter what you say and how you say it.
To give you a little help, here are 5 job interviewers you might encounter and how to deal with them:
The Best Friend: They just want to chat. You’ll have a nice time in the interview, but you might look back and wonder if you actually talked about the job.
What to do: Just be friendly, personable, and professional. Watch for opportunities to relate the conversation to your job qualifications.
The Multitasker: Your interviewer might answer a phone during your interview, send an email, or just be scrolling on a smartphone.
What to do: Don’t be distracted by your interviewer’s lack of attention. Use a dose of humor to regain attention. If the interviewer continues to do other things, ask if there is a better time for the interview.
The Trickster: You answer the question, only to find it was a trap. This interviewer will lead you into an answer, then be unhappy with it. You also might be asked silly trick questions that have no “right answer.”
What to do: Answer the questions honestly, and if you have no answer, say something to show personality. Just be yourself.
The Inappropriate One: This interviewer might make you uncomfortable. Questions about marital status, age, citizenship, or religion might be asked.
What to do: Personal questions like these are often illegal. Politely say “May I ask how that question relates to the duties required for this position?” This will take the interviewer back to more job-related questions.
The Statue: If you answer a question, and always get a straight face in response, you have encountered The Statue. This interviewer won’t give you any indication if the interview is going well.
What to do: You won’t get this job with personality or humor. Give strong, relevant examples in response to questions. Don’t let the interviewer shake your confidence. They’re probably testing you to see if you’ll break.