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AGCAREERS.COM
AG & FOOD CAREER GUIDE
N
o matter the interview platform,
whether it be phone, virtual, or
in-person, the stage is all yours! This
is your time to shine, showcase your
talents, and highlight your skills. Your
debut may be the one chance to sell
yourself as the perfect contender for
your dream job.
Beyond showing up on time,
dressing professionally, and greeting
the interviewer with a smile, you are
expected to do a lot of talking. You’re
eager to share everything you know and
all that you can bring to the organization.
I’ve done that! I can do that! I know
how! I, I, Me, Me, Me.
Yes, the interview is about you, but
it’s also about determining your fit into
the organization. It’s human nature to
feel compelled to fill that uncomfortable,
awkward void, and lull in conversation,
however that can lead to us babbling
and spouting out too much information.
The oversharing consideration is
especially imperative in an interview
when you’re asked that common
question, “Tell me a little about yourself.”
The keyword here is LITTLE!
Honesty is the best policy, and
obviously it’s imperative in a job
interview. However, as in your
personal life, there can be a risk of
interview “oversharing.” We can also
express this concept in the notorious
acronym, “TMI”—too much information.
These expressions showed up in 90s
pop-culture, but the dawn of social
networking proliferated the use. In fact,
overshare was Webster’s New World
Dictionary’s Word of the Year way back
in 2008! We have all seen social media
users’ tendency to spill the beans, give
too many details, or share too much
personal information.
Beyond social networks, reality TV’s
rise in popularity encouraged us to
update everyone on our status, even
if it’s just a photo of what’s for dinner.
For instance, it’s the person you just
met that shares their entire life story,
including significantly more personal
details than necessary. Generation Y/
Millennials (born in the 80s & 90s) are
sometimes even referred to as the
overshare generation and the next
generation is taking note and learning
from their predecessors.
Even though it’s prevalent in social
media, oversharing does not need to be
prevalent in your interview.
When you’re excited about the
opportunity, it takes extra effort to
LISTEN. Don’t just concentrate on the
next thing you’re going to say! This is
exceptionally problematic when you’re
supposed to showcase your skills and
talk about your talents. When you over-
think what you are going to say next,
you are not showing the interviewer
your ability to listen and engage in
conversation.
There’s no doubt interviews require
you to think quickly on your feet.
If the interviewer is doing their job
effectively, they won’t ask you a lot of
simple “yes” or “no” questions. They’ll
ask behavioral questions to relate
your past experiences, or situational
questions to see how you would
respond in a particular situation in the
future.
When you really listen to what the
interviewer is asking or sharing, take a
few brief seconds to pause, collect your
thoughts, and formulate your responses.
Ask yourself, “How can I effectively
communicate that my abilities,
experiences, and skills will support the
organization?”
Remember the old cliché, “less
is more.” When formulating these
responses, it’s not about how much you
share, it’s the quality of your responses
and questions. Respond to interview
questions with relative, succinct
answers that do not ramble on and
on. When responding, provide a brief
overview of the situation, task, actions
you took, and results.
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by Bonnie Johnson, AgCareers.com Marketing & Communications Manager
Photo by Rob Laughter on Unsplash
INTERVIEWS:
THE BIG STAGE
Are you disclosing too much in your debut?