To think job interviews are a mystery!

[user1496262496]

So, interview questions… how long is a candidate expected to speak for when answering the interviewers questions?

I have just had an unsuccessful interview. Feeling rubbish. I haven’t interviewed for years. Feedback was that I spoke too much. I am not sure how long I spoke for time wise, I just gave my opinion, example related to my professional experience. I didn’t think I was that bad.

This is for an education/teacher interview, not classroom teacher.

Has anyone got any advice or links to good resources?

I think it's a bit shit to tell you that you spoke too much without elaborating. Practice being concise, so for replies to competancy based questions try just to include the essentials of what you did and how it helped your company (more profit, efficiency etc) don't pad it out too much.

We usually tell candidates that we're going to ask them 8 questions and it's a 45 minute interview so they know they have ~5 minutes per answer.

It wasnt very helpful feedback, but dont worry, just try again.

The thing is - every interviewer is different, so there isn't a single answer.

That said - I'd say the best interviews I've conducted are those where the candidate has spoken with relevant info with enough detail for me to pick up follow-up questions, but not so much that I haven't got time to ask more! I appreciate having a two-way conversation and being able to dig a bit deeper. I do remember one interview where the candidate hadn't understood the question but I couldn't get a word in to clarify - they did ok but others did better.

"Spoke too much" is too vague though.

I'd much rather people speak too much than too little! So does seem odd feedback.

Could you have waffled, people speaking too much is never an issue unless what they’re saying is wrong or unnecessary

ugh, I hate interviews.

Im bad at them and fundamentally think they’re a poor tool for testing how people will perform at the job…. I once failed an interview for a job I’d done for 6 months as a secondment (thankfully they offered anyway based on my work performance)

I’ve been told to use the STAR model when answering…. I can see how that would help but for me, I’m so nervous that any model or method, plus my entire career, flops out of my head… I think to some extent it’s a skill of its own and it just takes practice (which fills me with dread!)

My interview lasted an hour and a half.
I told my dh I hadnt got the job as we just sat around and chatted like you would a group of mates.
He told me I had got the job because I'd been there so long.
I got the job!!
Think they're all different!

If I receive that feedback, I would assume that I was waffling on and not allowing others to speak eg maybe there was a natural break where the interviewer wanted to say something, but you ignored the cue and kept going on. Maybe you need to read the room a bit more to see whether you said too much

Received *

Having been on the other side on SLT doing interviews, I've realised/found over time that in a good number of interviews it's luck. In schools, often people know people, the head already has half made their mind up or a few candidates are equal and they have to go on gut.

I wouldn't be afraid to go back and say you just really want to make sure you understand their feedback - what specifically about the talking too much was the issue. I also find it odd as most interviewers would cut you off!

Yep definitely! People are nervous at interviews, those that can blag (and say the stuff that needs to be said) aren't necessarily the best person for the job..it's a skill in It's self and not easy to pick up when you've not had much experience or feedback