Bonnie Johnson 
January 25, 2022
Career Guide ArticleAre you disclosing too much in your debut?
No 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 and 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.
Also, relinquish some of that spotlight, refocus on the employer and interviewer to let them shine. Remember your questions for the employer are just as important and give you extra opportunity to listen and learn. Prepare questions ahead of time and don’t hesitate to ask new questions as they arise during your interview. Asking questions will also combat your tendency to overshare. Consider asking the interviewer about their role in the organization, how long they’ve been there, why they enjoy working for the organization, and what a typical day looks like.
As a guide, here are ten things you shouldn’t share during an interview:
Avoid these 10 Interview Overshares
1. Excuses – Reasons why you’re late, your GPA is low, wrinkled clothes, you seem stressed or are unprepared.
2. Ambivalence—Words that show you’re indecisive, disengaged, or uninterested. Avoid “Sure,” “That’s fine,” “Like,” “I don’t care,” “Um…maybe.”
3. What’s in this for me? —Stay clear of asking about perks such as days off, flexible hours or work from home options (especially during the first interview).
4. Clueless—Do your research on the company, or at least relay your desire to learn more. Don’t highlight your lack of knowledge by sharing that you “really don’t know what the company does.”
5. Complaints—Weather, traffic, my parents made me do it, how little sleep you got last night.
6. Guesses—When a question stumps you, it’s better to say, “I don’t know” than to wing it. Ask for clarification or offer to return to the question later. You could even address the question in your interview follow-up/thank you.
7. Personal circumstances—a breakup, the death of your beloved pet, bankruptcy, a messy divorce, surgeries, and health information.
8. Desperation — “My last employer fired me.” “When will I get my first paycheck?” “My parents said I must have a job by spring semester.” “I need health coverage for my family.” “My rent payment is overdue.”
9. Politics & religion—Your views, even if you think your interviewer might or should agree!
10. Burnt bridges—Disparaging comments about your former boss, coworkers, employer, or educators.
Be cautious of interview oversharing. Knowing what NOT to say, in addition, what TO say, will certainly enhance your chance of securing a new position.
Virtual Interview Revelations
The potential employer contacts you to set up your first interview virtually. You may give a sigh of relief for an online interview, but wait, just because you don’t have to worry about your shoes or fingernails, doesn’t mean there aren’t other unique considerations. In contrast to in-person, virtual interviews invite the potential employer into a little of your world. Think about your background and your computer technology skills, among other aspects.
Rather than an in-person interview where you’re on the employer’s stage, it’s your turn to set the stage in a virtual interview. You don’t want your environment to cause a virtual interview “overshare.” Consider your surroundings, both audibly (think loud roommates, music, dogs barking) and visually. Are your surroundings clean and clutter-free, or can you see towels hanging over your closet door and dirty clothes on the floor? Is your desk cluttered with empty beverage containers? Cat crawling around on your lap? Blinding light coming through your window?
If your backdrop is less than ideal, you may be guilty of visually oversharing in a virtual interview. Turn on your computer camera—what do you see? Are you presenting the image an employer wants to hire? Since the pandemic, many meetings, events, and even entire workplaces have moved to a virtual environment. Employers want to know you’re self-aware and recognize how the background presents you and potentially represents your future employer in a virtual environment.
