There is a lot of advice out there about the do’s and don’ts of job interviews, including what to say and what not to say, how to dress, even how to shake hands (firmly, looking the person in the eye)

But along with the good advice, a good deal of misinformation gets circulated as well, advice that doesn’t really have any evidence to support it.

Among this questionable information is the idea that there is a right or wrong answer to the questions asked. That is untrue. There are many ways to answer a question, and the interviewer is more likely paying attention to your reasoning and  your knowledge, more to how you respond and react, than the actual answer itself.

Another piece of misinformation is the idea that only those people with the most experience have a shot at the job. If that were true, there would be no point to interviewing – the hiring manager would just pick the most experienced person from the stack of resumes. While qualifications are important, hiring managers are also looking at a person’s skills, character traits, personality, and education as well. They are also trying to determine if the person would be a good fit for the company.

Another falsehood that has crept into the interviewing lore is that you should always accept food or drink if offered. Usually, the reverse is true – interviewers don’t want to spend their day getting up and down to get coffee for job applicants.

Another misapprehension is that applicants are always interviewed by trained recruiters. Often, interviewers are managers or co-workers who may not be as competent at interviewing as they could be. So it’s best to keep your answers to the point, using specific concrete examples, and avoiding any boilerplate responses.

Yet another mistaken belief is that you need to keep your answers short. Not true at all. Actually, interviewers like answers to be longer so they have more time to assess you as an applicant. You need to use the interview to your advantage by putting to use all of the background research you have done on the company. Analysts say that applicants should be doing most of the talking during interviews, about two-thirds of the time.

If you’d like the real facts about job interviewing, contact StaffEx. We can help you prepare for interviews for temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire assignments at some of the Tampa area’s top employers. Contact us today!