Date Added: 21.01.20

Landing that big interview for the job of your dreams is an amazing achievement, but just because you’ve made it to interview stage doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve got it in the bag.

The fact is that you’re going to be going up against a shortlist of other interviewees, and for many this can be quite daunting. In fact, aside from dealing with tricky questions and woes about getting rejected, the fear of competing against unknown opponents is one of the main reasons for those pre-interview nerves we all get from time to time.

Unless you’re extremely lucky, there’s always going to be competition for big ticket roles. That’s just unavoidable. But don’t sweat it, we’ve tackled the fear of the unknown for you and have narrowed down the four types of interviewee you’ll likely be up against and most importantly, we’ve identified how to beat them to the chase too.

1. The Loud One

You’ll be all too familiar with this person already, as they’ll likely have told you their life story and will have made excellent headway with the interviewer before they’ve even stepped through the door.

Particularly if you’re an introverted person, being faced with an overly confident challenger might seem hopeless – who can contend with those energy levels?

Although employers certainly appreciate confidence in their interviewees, in some roles being brash may actually work as a disadvantage depending on what your employer wants from you.

We really wouldn’t worry too much about The Loud One, that old adage of ‘he who shouts the loudest…’ doesn’t fly when it comes to job interviews. Sure, if you’re going for a sales role where being able to talk the talk is paramount to your success – then fading into the background while someone else takes the limelight probably isn’t the best strategy.

Whatever the case, just be yourself, trying to outdo the bigger personalities in the room by doing things you wouldn’t usually do will only set you up for a fall. Imagine if you got the job based on the act you’d put on during the interview – nobody needs to deal with that level of upkeep.

 2. The One With Connections

You know the ones: they’ve graduated from a top 10 university, interned at a global organisation, climbed the ranks and collected an impressive list of LinkedIn connections in the process. They’ll likely have a roster of referees ready and waiting to give a glowing review of their performance at previous roles. Intimidating much?

Having friends in high places can certainly seem like an unfair advantage that will likely have piqued the interest of hiring managers and carried this person to interview stage, but it isn’t the be all and end all.

Just because this person can name drop like it’s hot doesn’t mean they’re necessarily right for the role. They might not have the experience you’ve got, and for all you know they could be completely the wrong cultural fit.

Our best advice to you when pitted against the one with connections is not to fret about what they’ve got, and instead focus on what you can do for your prospective employer.

That will be far more interesting to them than what life at Oxford was like. Ultimately your interviewer wants to know that you can jump in, roll up your sleeves and deliver against your job spec – no amount of LinkedIn connections can trump being good at what you do.

3. The Over-Preparer

This competitor is polished and has done their homework, there’s no doubt about that. They’ve pored over the company’s LinkedIn feed, examining the profiles of all their employees and have even given the director’s personal blog from 2006 a read. You can also pretty much guarantee that they’ve already rehearsed their answers to any competency based questions that might arise based on the job description.

At this point, you’re quaking in your boots and may be questioning whether you’ve done yourself a disservice by not spending every waking moment researching your new employer’s favourite colour. After all, is there any such thing as being too prepared for an interview? Take it from us, there is.

We’ve conducted enough interviews to know that an over-prepared interviewee can be their own worst enemy. Nothing interrupts the natural flow of a conversation more than rigid rehearsed answers. While, yes, preparation is key – you don’t want to be so inside your own head that you’re unable to engage with your new manager.

Don’t try to memorise snippets of trivia about the company to try and impress, instead spend the time reflecting on your own career and times where you’ve exhibited qualities referenced in the job description. Talking about your own experiences and career highlights will come across as much more personal and genuine, as a result you’ll be able to build a solid rapport with your interviewer.

4. The Perfect One

If this were a retro computer game, squaring up to The Perfect One would be your boss battle. They are formidable, sharp as a tack and almost impossible to defeat…on paper at least.

How to spot one of these? Well, they have exactly everything that the job description calls for – including those ‘desirable but not essentials’. Qualifications? Check. Years of hands on experience at every level? Check. Glowing references? Check. To say they’re a strong contender would be an understatement, but ticking all the right boxes doesn’t a dream candidate make.

Trust us on this one, we’ve come across many a candidate who was perfect on paper, but turned out not to be a good fit for the role or company at all upon a closer inspection. When it comes to placing the right person into a high competition role, it’s so important to consider cultural fit among other things.

Much like The One With Connections, you can’t let this person frighten you, yes they very likely can do the job in question – but can they do it the way that you could? Debatable. All you can do is bring your a-game and do your best to fill your interviewer with confidence that you can do everything they’re asking and more – and to top it off, you’ll fit right in with their existing team.

If there’s one thing all of our interviewee personas have in common, it’s that whatever you think they’ve got on you, you can outshine them by being your authentic self. Just remember that you’ve been invited to interview too, there’s something about you that made your interviewer think that you’re right for the job.

An interview is an opportunity for prospective employers to sense check their own opinions about you, so draw on your own experience, knowledge and charisma to prove them right.

If you’re looking for more career advice, or would like help finding your next big break, get in touch with our friendly team today on 0121 633 3030 to get started.