Master This Simple Strategy to Succeed in Any Job Interview
Tell them what they need to know, not how much you know
Let’s set the scene with a brief narrative from the movies.
“The Pursuit of Happyness” is based on a true story about a man named Chris Gardner. It’s an emotive tale as Chris’s wife leaves him and he loses his apartment meaning he is forced to live on the streets with his young son.
Trying to get back on his feet, he pursues an unpaid internship at a stockbrokers. He bursts in to the interview splattered with paint, hot, bothered and barely dressed — this was not the first impression he had in mind!
Chris reveals, “I have been sat outside for the last half-hour trying to come up with a story that would explain being here dressed like this.”
He had just run away from the police for failure to pay parking tickets.
Some entrance.
“Can I say something?” he continues.
“I’m the type of person — if you ask me a question and I don’t know the answer — I’m going to tell you that ‘I don’t know’. But I bet you I know how to find the answer — and I will find the answer.”
The lead Partner replies, “Chris what would you say if a guy walked in for an interview without a shirt on — and I hired him! What would you say?”
Chris quips, “He must have had on some really nice pants.”
It seemed his odds of success were virtually non-existent — yet they offered him the job.
Why?
Storytelling aside, he told them what they needed to know.
I have participated in dozens of interviews at numerous companies, in different parts of the world, over the last decade-and-a-bit. Being hired, and hiring others, has enabled me to draw on experiences from both sides of the table and unify my learnings in to one simple strategy.
Let’s bring this to life with 3 questions
1. What is the strategy that is the common denominator of interview success?
2. Why is this so important?
3. How can I implement the strategy to achieve unparalleled success?
1. The common denominator of interview success
Focusing on the single biggest source of interview triumph gives you a strategy that you can apply to all other aspects of your preparation and performance. It comes down to one strategy:
Tell them what they need to know, not how much you know.
That’s the key.
Everything else is subsidiary.
To do it justice in this short article, let’s assume you’ve heard commonplace interview advice, including:
- Research the industry and the employer
- Prepare high quality questions for your interviewers
- Practice articulating your key selling points in advance
- Discipline yourself to communicate with positive impact
These actions are worthwhile and, if done properly, serve as the foundation for you to tell people what they need to know.
2. Why is this so important?
Simply put, the consequences of ignoring this strategy will leave you disappointed. Here’s two examples of ‘telling them how much you know’ rather than ‘what they need to know’.
The Scientist
A friend of mine, Luke, runs a respected recruitment company. On the hunt for a strong candidate to fill a Data Scientist role, he encountered Robert’s CV at the ideal time — he had just completed his Quantum Physics PhD and was eager to enter the world of work.
During an initial phone call, Robert sounded intelligent and amicable. He certainly had relevant ‘transferable skills’. In truth, Luke’s initial concern was that he may be overqualified for the job!
Why, then, did I later hear he ‘failed spectacularly’ at interview?
The short answer: he tried to tell them how much he knew…
*Information overload*
Robert forgot that listening to the question is not the same as staying quiet while you think about something that you hope makes you appear smart.
Was Robert well prepared? Yes. Did the interviewers agree he was knowledgeable? Absolutely. Did he come across as articulate? You bet he did. Unfortunately, those things are necessary but not sufficient to securing the job.
Luke was frustrated: ‘why would I hire anyone who doesn’t listen?’
Bad news for Robert.
The Marketeer
I was hiring for a Products & Marketing role when I received Anna’s application. It put me into a state of positive expectation — Anna had a good degree in International Marketing followed by a 3 year stint at a reputable firm.
The problem? Anna had a severe case of S.O.S. — Shiny Object Syndrome. Imagine trying to have a conversation with confetti, in gale force winds. It was a shame because she was a well-spoken, expressive person who had firm motivations for the job.
On paper, she was brilliant. In reality, her S.O.S. translated to ‘Save Our Souls’ — my colleague and I were scrambling to pull the rip cord and get out of there!
Why?
Ultimately, she fell in to the trap of rushing to tell us how much she knew. She failed to tell us what we needed to know.
At one point Anna delved into the detail of her dissertation on the complex pressures facing marketeers in an increasingly global business environment. Interesting? Perhaps. But her unbroken narrative was a far cry from the question ‘how would you describe the goal of marketing?’
Anna talked around the subject and her work ethic, rather than demonstrating an ability to listen well and detect subtlety. The latter trumps good grades every time.
3. Implement the strategy by learning from the best, and the rest
To close, let’s hone in on some pragmatic ways to incorporate this technique into your next interview:
i. Proper Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
“1 minute in planning saves 5 to 10 minutes in execution”
— Brian Tracy
Remember that implementing this strategy in an interview context is a learned skill — the more you practice, the the more confident you will become. Planning with it in mind means you’ll be more likely to deliver when it matters. For a helping hand, here are 3 sources of inspiration that can empower you to plan more effectively and consistently leverage this strategy to best effect:
- Richard Koch’s “The 80/20 Principle”
80/20 applies to any interview situation: consider that 80% of your valuable points can be conveyed in just 20% of the words you use. - Marshall Goldsmith’s “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”
Goldsmith argues that one small flaw — a behavior you hardly recognize — could be holding you back. To avoid an interview pitfall, don’t try to tell them how much you know. - Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”
Focusing on telling people what they need to know enhances your ability to persuade others to follow your way of thinking.
ii. So what?
Early in my career, I attended a mentoring session with a Director of Learning & Development whose ultimate responsibility was the training of 50,000+ employees. His mantra was ‘to say it like it is’ and his gravitas was legendary.
When asked for his top interview tip, his response was unusual — “just imagine your interviewers with the words ‘so what’ printed across their foreheads”.
It’s an unconventional technique but it works. Think of it as a way to filter the information you present to your interviewers — if only Robert and Anna had used it!
iii. Bring the best version of yourself
It’s worth emphasizing that people perform better when they’re less stressed. If you want to reap more benefits from your preparation, ask yourself: what can I do to proactively calm my nervous system in the days and hours before the interview?
Different things pay dividends for different people — whether it’s exercise, yoga, meditation, cold showers, reading (clearly not all at the same time) or something else entirely — do whatever works for you.
If you don’t (yet) know what makes you a clearer, more confident version of yourself — consider figuring that out before putting yourself forward for other meaningful opportunities and remember…
Knowledge speaks.
Wisdom listens.
Upon being invited to interview, trust that you’re knowledgeable enough to get the job — why would the recruiter waste their time otherwise?
If you want to convey wisdom, earnestly listen to each question and tell them what they need to know, not how much you know.
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