Oversharing During Job Interview

Many of us have been told these phrases “don't hold back during the interview” or “Try and connect with the interviewer” when we have some important job interviews. Although these are not bad bits of advice they often result in candidates oversharing during the job interview and most of the time reducing their chances of getting the job.

A job interview is an exchange of information. Interviewers ask several questions about the candidate's skill set as well as their personality to determine if they are fit for the role and organization. When a candidate overshares information it gives an impression to the interviewer as if the candidate has lost control of the situation or they are not skillful enough to articulate their expertise and experiences.

Management in any company has a busy schedule, and they have allocated a fixed time to do the interview. In this short time slot, they want to know you professionally. So they are expecting you to be direct and concise about your personality and your experiences. If you will overshare it will leave a bad first impression, and it will leave them with less time to collect all the required information about you. So keep it direct, on topic, and concise as much as possible.

If you are continuously oversharing, neglecting time, and going off topic it gives an impression to the interviewer that you lack focus, and time management skills and ultimately you will not be able to complete assigned tasks within deadlines. On top of that oversharing can raise more questions about your abilities and skills, if you do not have control over what you are sharing, you might end up sharing your weak points during the interview which can be related to your personality or your skills related to the job, this will massively reduce your chances of getting the job.

One more topic to avoid oversharing is your personal information or information about your previous employer. If the interviewer asked any questions about either of these topics. It is important that you stay on topic and do not share any extra information. Oversharing information about yourself might lead to crossing some unspoken boundaries, whereas oversharing information about your previous employers may leave the hiring manager worried that you wouldn’t be able to keep proprietary information to yourself, if they fear this then most probably they will move on to another candidate.

To be successful in a professional environment means you should be aware of your surroundings and act accordingly. Job interviews are the first step towards your career success, so you should be at your best during the job interview. Those who demonstrate the ability to understand the questions asked during the interview and give direct and concise answers are more likely to make a strong first impression. Hiring managers want to know if you are qualified for the role, so give them just the right amount of information needed to assess your abilities. 

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