The friendly interviewer
In some cases you will meet a friendly, calm and welcoming interviewer. This may come as a relief to some and may lead them to act enthusiastically and at times in a careless and perhaps unmeasured manner. Some may be voluntarily open to a degree in which they disclose information that is not necessarily required. The job applicant may think: “Since the interviewer is so friendly I have nothing to be concerned about, I presume they really like me and I can tell them anything”.
Disclosing unnecessary information may be damaging and may even lead to disqualification.
For example: An applicant for a financial and administrative position is interviewed by an informal and friendly interviewer. She asks the applicant if in his current position in a financial and administrative position the bulk of the work is financial or administrative. Since the applicant feels comfortable he shares with the interviewer the fact that most of the work he does is in effect administrative by nature (even though there is a financial aspect to it).
This kind of response has in effect compromised his chances of succeeding in the interview since the impression made is that he does not have the kind of experience they are looking for.
In fact, the applicant may have all the skills and experience required but since he decided to disclose all the information in an uncalculated manner he has made an unbalanced impression.
In most cases, a friendly and informal interviewer is an experienced one that ‘seduces' the job applicant to act freely. Some applicants may feel overly comfortable in such situations and may disclose their weaknesses to an extent that may lead to their disqualification.
Remember!
An interview is an opportunity for you to exhibit your qualifications and skills rather than an opportunity to engage in friendly conversation and gain sympathy. Just as there is no reason for you to be offended or defensive when meeting a hostile interviewer, you must not celebrate and ‘let your guard down' when meeting a friendly and informal interviewer.
In both cases you must be concise, well mannered and answer adequately to the questions asked – nothing more or less.
Important! We recommend you focus on giving a concise presentation of your professional abilities. There is no need to disclose unnecessary private information and/or weaknesses to reciprocate the interviewer for his good natured behavior.