How to strike a balance between talking to much or not enough (interview, work)

[Aptor hours]

I feel like I had a nice interview today for a retail position in a fashion shop which gets me kind of excited! I'm quite people oriented and I really get very outgoing which I think is clearly a good thing for retail. I got to thinking after the interview though that maybe I was to talkative and took over the interview though?? How do I tell or how do I know Any hints from past experience?

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by Aptor hours

I feel like I had a nice interview today for a retail position in a fashion shop which gets me kind of excited! I'm quite people oriented and I really get very outgoing which I think is clearly a good thing for retail. I got to thinking after the interview though that maybe I was to talkative and took over the interview though?? How do I tell or how do I know Any hints from past experience?

It's a crap shoot. So much depends on the temperament of your interviewer. I think the best rule of thumb during an interview is to answer the questions with one or two sentences. Be succinct. Don't offer extraneous information without being asked. And have a couple of good questions handy for when they ask... "Do you have any questions?"

Most interviewers are not interested in your personal life, what you think, or who you are. They are interested in how you will fit in and what you can do for them to make them money. Keep your replies along those lines. Giving out too much information can be a deal-breaker IMHO.

20yrsinBranson

[Aptor hours]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

It's a crap shoot. So much depends on the temperament of your interviewer. I think the best rule of thumb during an interview is to answer the questions with one or two sentences. Be succinct. Don't offer extraneous information without being asked. And have a couple of good questions handy for when they ask... "Do you have any questions?"

Most interviewers are not interested in your personal life, what you think, or who you are. They are interested in how you will fit in and what you can do for them to make them money. Keep your replies along those lines. Giving out too much information can be a deal-breaker IMHO.

20yrsinBranson

Good point...I think I failed on that point. Good to remember though if this doesn't work out I have to remember I'm not being interviewed for Miss America or something.

[manderly6]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

It's a crap shoot. So much depends on the temperament of your interviewer.

Totally agree. I think we even had a thread about this before where some people think the interviewer should do most of the talking and some think the interviewee should do most of the talking. There really isn't any right or wrong answer, although you should probably avoid the extreme on either side.

[lavalake]

I think it might also depend on the types of questions that are being asked. Questions like "Do you have experience using this type of software?" or "Do you have experience in working with this specific type of project?" can be answered in one or two sentences, and usually the interviewer will indicate whether they have follow-up questions based on your response. However, questions like "We are looking for candidates that can make sure our program gets media attention and is well recognized by experts in the field. What are some of things you will do to make that happen?" are more general/broad, and will probably require a slightly longer response.

I also think that there is a difference between talking a lot but mostly rambling in your response and talking a lot but still having a very focused response to those broader questions.

Then again, one of my recent interviewers mentioned that she had run out of questions to ask me because I had been very thorough in my responses, so now I'm scared that I also talked too much in that interview. So I might not be the best person to give advice on this topic.

[Aptor hours]

Originally Posted by lavalake

I think it might also depend on the types of questions that are being asked. Questions like "Do you have experience using this type of software?" or "Do you have experience in working with this specific type of project?" can be answered in one or two sentences, and usually the interviewer will indicate whether they have follow-up questions based on your response. However, questions like "We are looking for candidates that can make sure our program gets media attention and is well recognized by experts in the field. What are some of things you will do to make that happen?" are more general/broad, and will probably require a slightly longer response.

I also think that there is a difference between talking a lot but mostly rambling in your response and talking a lot but still having a very focused response to those broader questions.

Then again, one of my recent interviewers mentioned that she had run out of questions to ask me because I had been very thorough in my responses, so now I'm scared that I also talked too much in that interview. So I might not be the best person to give advice on this topic.

She really didn't even ask me questions which is odd she sort of showed me the store which is a ski shop and I loved the ski clothing and the amazing quality of the sweaters. She asked me where I lived so hmmmm I don't know. I know retail at a ski shop will require a good outgoing personality which is me so I guess we will see