Introduction to Job Seekers
There is a tendency among job seekers to over-analyze all that happens during the process of hiring. It starts from the time that the company takes in responding to their applications to how friendly-sounding is the person who gives a call for the purpose of scheduling the interview. However, more than anything else, what the job seekers analyze are the words that they hear specifically from the person or persons conducting the interview. People try to take out the meaning of whatever is said by their job interviewer which includes simple remarks such as “good luck” or “we will soon be in touch”.
7 Things Misinterpreted by Job Seekers
The seven most common things that are said by the job interviewer which are either misinterpreted by the job seekers or are read much into by them are discussed below.
1. Job Interviewer – “You’re very well qualified for this job”
On hearing this remark from the job interviewer most of the candidates usually get excited and start to assume that they are among the front-runners for the job. However, it must be noted that the majority of the candidates or all of them who are interviewed by the employers have high qualifications and that is the reason why they have reached the stage of the interview.
After all, employers do not usually ask to interview people who do are not well qualified for the job. Therefore, there are lesser chances of your hopes getting dashed if the statement is interpreted by you as “You are well qualified, as are the other candidates to whom we are talking.”
2. “We’re ironing out some details about the position”
Although it is not a danger sign in all cases, it may at times prove to be one. It is an indication that there is going to be a dramatic change in the job description or there might be a doubt with regards to the funding of the situation or them might be thinking of put the process of hiring for that position on hold or all other sorts of things that can cause a setback to your chances or change the role into something that does not match you. On the contrary, it may also signify something minor which does not have too much impact. In either of the two cases you should not panic too much on hearing these words, because if that happens to be a change that is big enough, it is much better to become aware of it at this stage itself rather than after the job has been accepted by you.
3. “Let me show you the office you’d be working out of”
Generally, people think that a job interviewer would not take the pains of showing the office space to them or introduce them to the members of the team in case they were near to the point of making an offer. However, it will be good if you do not read anything into this because most of the job interviewer does such things as a process of the standard routine of the interview. It is done alike with both strong as well as weak candidates, so it is better not to pay too much attention to it.
4. “We’ll get back to you soon / in two weeks / by Friday”
Whatever is the timeline that is given to you by your job interviewer, you should not put too much of the stock into it. Generally, the process of hiring takes a longer period of time than people think that these processes take. At times, even the people who are responsible for the process of hiring have a tendency to underestimate the amount of time that will be taken by them for completing the process of hiring. It is better if you completely ignore the timeline that has been given to you by your job interviewer and you will be safe if in your head you double or even triple the time.
5. “Feel free to email me with any questions” / “Here’s my card. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.”
This is usually said by the job interviewer as a courtesy, just to show politeness. However, this does not mean that they have given you an invitation to ask them all the non-essential questions and start troubling them as soon as you reach home. At times, the candidates might get the feeling that they will impress the hiring manager or make them realize that you are more interested in a number of follow-up questions that are put in front of them. Questions should, therefore, not be sent just for the sake of asking questions. As the questions are not the ones that are vital, the process will usually end up being annoying as well as fairly transparent as it signifies that you are making the hiring manager devote their precious time replying to the questions in writing, especially when he or she is aware that the questions are not pressing and genuine.
However, the hiring managers feel happy in answering any questions that are genuine and which come to your mind after the interview is over and you have left. But in case you have not caught on by this time, handing the business card to you was a not-so-subtle method of saying, “Here is my email address, to which I expect you to send a thank-you note.”
While post-interview questioning is generally encouraged, it is not necessary. You can go ahead and ask if you actually have some job interview questions to ask them. It is easy for a hiring manager to make out that the battery of questions has been sent to him just with the purpose of creating a better impression. Prior to worrying regarding asking any additional questions which you should not have asked, you should ensure that you have sent a thank you note.
6. “We have more candidates to talk to before we make a decision”/ “We are meeting with some additional candidates over the next couple of days but we will be in touch very soon.”
Often the candidates become disappointed in hearing this from the job interviewer. They figure out that a signal is being given by the job interviewer that they should not be having high hopes of getting the job. At certain times, it is actually the case. However, it also happens to be a very normal thing that most of the job interviewer says as a routine matter to every candidate since it is the truth and it is something that is a normal part of the process of hiring to speak with other people. Usually, it is not an indication of anything with respect to your chances of getting the job.
This might be the worst-case scenario in the minds of the job seekers all over as it may signify that they are conducting interviews of other candidates because they are not going to hire you. However, you should not be too fast in deducing this. A hiring manager may be carrying out interviews of other people, however, that does not signify that you are not a nice option. You need to remember that that job interviewer has several questions that they have to ask you at the time of the interview and there are also certain things they feel comfortable about saying on autopilot.
These include “We’re interviewing other candidates, so…” even when you might be on the verge of being selected. At times this is said by the job interviewer as they will soon be in touch in order to let you down. However, this is not the sole reason for which they are said by the interviewers. You should not forget that these things are sometimes said by the hiring managers because after carrying out a number of interviews each day, it is the way they have been programmed to bring the interview to an end.
7. “I look forward to talking more” / “We are really excited for you – uh, the person who takes this job – to tackle a project we’ve been thinking of.”
Most of the candidates have a tendency to listen to this as a promise that implies that there are going to be more conversations in the future. However, it might not be the case necessarily. It can be considered as more of a polite close to the interview that is used automatically by the interviewers even though they might not have taken the decision regarding the candidates who will be moving ahead in the process of hiring. It is something like “I will call you “of the world of job search. It actually means “If you end up moving forward in the process, we will talk more.”
It can be a slip of tongue on the part of the job interviewer. It is obvious what you will think about when you hear the second question. It can easily be interpreted as “Wahoo, they’re going to make me an offer as soon as this thing is over.” While it may be sensible that you have reached this conclusion after you hear the job interviewer say anything like this, it may not be the case necessarily.
When you are not a job seeker and if you think you have the job, you should not make the mistake of rushing to the office of your boss so that you can quit as soon as you the hiring manager is heard by you as making use of the word “you” in a sentence which describes the position. Even though it may be a good indication that the mood of the interview is progressing in the correct direction, it is by no means a “subtle wink” method of expressing that you are in the process of being hired for the job.
The above instances reveal that in most cases the candidates misinterpret what the interviewers want to communicate. The things that the interviewers say during the process of the interview should not be over-analyzed and interpreted in the way in which you feel is correct. Boarding the “Worst Case Scenario Train” is a very easy process whenever it is said by the job interviewer “well just about anything” but you have to be careful about the interpretations of the things that the interviewers say commonly during the course of the interview.
At times they might just mention certain things merely out of courtesy. You should not try to make much into the meanings of those words. You should avoid making your own interpretations and drawing conclusions regarding each and everything that is said by the interviewers. Instead, it is advisable to show patience before you reach any conclusion and let the interviewers take their time in meeting more candidates and coming to a decision.
The entire process of the interview can at a time take several months before all the rounds of an interview are completed so it is very crucial to maintain patience and put in your best effort at each stage of the interview so that you can keep moving ahead. You can neither consider yourself a forerunner for the position nor get the feeling that you cannot move ahead. You need to go with the flow and consider things as they happen. You have been shortlisted because of the experience that you possess along with the required qualifications for the position.
Therefore, you need to handle the process of the interview as carefully as possible but you should not analyze each and every word that comes out from the mouth of the hiring manager. You were called for the interview for one and only one reason which is that the organization feels that you could prove to be a good fit for the position and therefore it is entirely upon you to prove that they are right in thinking so. It may take time and involve a number of steps before the decision is finally made by the job interviewer but it is always advisable to wait for the decision of the job interviewer rather than making your own interpretations.
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This is a guide to Job Seekers. Here we discuss 7 Things Misinterpreted by Job Seekers.
