15 Insane but True Things You Never Knew About Interviewing

Interviewing can be stressful. You’re competing for a job, and everything about you counts. The stakes are high, and how you perform in that meeting can shape your future.

In other words, an interview is equal parts opportunity and consequence. Keep these facts in mind as you prepare for your next one. Some are humorous, some will help you prepare, and many will give you a better sense of what’s really happening in the room.

15 Simple Interview Facts

1. Corporate psychopaths are said to be some of the best interviewers around. (The Mask of Sanity, Hervey Cleckley)
2. Interviews first surfaced in the 1920s, when more college graduates entered the workforce.
3. Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the interview. His questions were tough and ranged across geography, chemistry, food production, and literature.
4. There’s roughly an 80% chance you’ll be Googled before an interview, according to Google.
5. Interviews are won and lost on first impressions, and clothing matters more than you’d think. Almost 70% of hiring managers admit that when everything else is equal, what you wear can be the deciding factor.
6. A study in the Journal of Business Research suggests that wearing a recognizable brand the interviewer knows makes them more likely to hire you.
7. The #1 interview ice-breaker is “Tell me about yourself.”
8. Psychological research indicates that jobs are won and lost in the first 30 seconds.
9. Employers look for thank-you notes. 24% of employers say they’re very important, and almost 60% say they’re important (CareerBuilder). If yours needs a starting point, here are eight samples.
10. How well you interview can affect your lifetime earnings by 10% to 33%.
11. Most candidates underestimate how much time it takes to research a company, its products, and its people before interviewing. (This checklist shows what thorough looks like.)
12. Asking better questions helps you come across as the smarter hiring choice.
13. If you’re highly motivated to work for a particular company, you’re more likely to make it through the process and land an offer.
14. One of the simplest ways to improve your odds is to ask for the job at the end of the interview.
15. Initial phone interviews run from 20 to 60 minutes, with the average call lasting about 28 minutes.

Land the Job You Want: Acting Class Not Required

You don’t have to interview like a rehearsed actor to win the offer. But you do need to convey your skills, your enthusiasm, and your ability to solve the hiring team’s problems.

With a little planning, a can-do attitude, and strong skills, you’ll be ready to put your best foot forward and interview with confidence. Use these facts to prepare, sharpen your approach, and land the job. And if the interviews themselves aren’t coming, start with the five reasons strong salespeople don’t get interviews.

The practical side of all this lives in the complete sales interview preparation guide.