Category: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

8/4 – Aloof

A distant and stand-offish interviewee created through a high knowledge/experience and sufficient confidence level, is a concern to employers looking to recruit a highly skilled employee to join a team of experts. 

The 8/4 – Aloof applicant, the highest scorer in the high/low segment, is often looking to move from a medium level position to high level role (or a high-salaried role). For highly paid vacancies, the interviewer is most likely an industry expert possessing high levels of confidence in his/her own ability. 

Much research shows that interviewees will receive more job offers when the interviewer finds commonality with the applicant. If the candidate, being interviewed by a confident interviewer, lacks confidence, rapport will be broken. 

Employers often search for a new team member that will fit-in with the team dynamics and the company culture. Anyone who sits outside of this image, the aloof applicant, can be viewed as potentially harmful. If an unapproachable, unresponsive and unhelpful applicant is allowed to join a current group of motivated employees, the influence could be highly disruptive. 

Such 8/4 – Aloof applicants, because they possess a sufficient level of confidence, can give enough detail in an interview answer, allowing the employer to be aware of their high level of knowledge/experience. Detailed answers, delivered confidently, increase likeability and change the perception of how the candidate is viewed as a team member. 

If the majority of answers lack specifics due to a nervous delivery style, and most do, a sense of distance between the applicant and interviewer will be created. 

The employer initially will put the lack of detailed answers down to interview anxiety. When applying for highly paid medium positions, organisations are expecting applicants to have the communication skills, and confidence, to be able to express themselves clearly.

Strengths 

A vast amount of knowledge and experience, often being an expert within an industry sub-niche, along with a unique set of industry related skills and experiences increase the likelihood of gaining employment. 

When confident about a particular topic, relevant to their expertise, answers are clear, well-structured and descriptive enough for an employer to see the value in having such candidates as part of their team. 

In addition, their long duration in the job sector enables them to identify the job criteria offering the employer relevant answers and an insight into their impressive range of knowledge and skills. 

Many ‘8’ knowledge/experience candidates will be an expert in a sector sub-niche, creating authority within the job interview. If the expertise is presented prior to the job interview, in the application process, the halo effect will be in play. 

The expertise of an aloof applicant is rare and therefore highly valuable. Even when an employer has concerns over a candidate’s persona, the thought of a competitor gaining an industry advantage by utilising the applicant’s wealth of experience and talent can result in a job offer. 

Development

One of the unknown factors within the interview process is the level of knowledge/experience and confidence of the competition. 

Lately, the number of career professionals returning to education to gain post-grad qualifications has increased. In a global marketplace, employers are seeing the financial advantage of encouraging and even funding staff members to gain professional industry qualifications (i.e. a chartered engineer). The result of this is an increase in applicants ranking high on the level of knowledge/experience axes. 

In addition, the job market is in constant flux due to the fast pace of technology and globalisation, with career professionals working in job roles that weren’t available only a few years previously. At a technical level, applicants for these new roles are on a level playing field. 

Possessing a specialist skill or knowledge is still highly sought after but cannot alone be relied on. Expert applicants still need to follow rule 3 of a successful interview – confident communication. 

The 8/4 – Aloof applicant can close down when challenged or asked unexpected questions. In addition, if interrupted by an interviewer, the candidates’ concentration can be disturbed, often ruining the flow of their answers, putting them at a disadvantage. 

Even as an expert, the candidate will hesitate, stutter, and use excessive filler words when discussing a complex idea, reducing the perceived level of knowledge/experience. 

The perceived level of knowledge/experience is also damaged by the fact that 8/4 – Aloof applicants do not actively self-promote believing that their experience speaks for itself. Whereas other ‘interview identities’ will make it clear that the actions they took made a project a success, the aloof applicant will talk about the team’s achievement and may even self-disclose their own weaknesses and mistakes. 

Specific self-praise and bragging is required when facing competition from other, more confident, industry specialists. 

Advice for the job interview

• Make a point of referencing, in detail, the actions you took to achieve the outcome being described in the answer. Be a self-promoter, praise yourself and brag! 
• In the main, mention three criteria per interview answers as this will increase the allocated marks per question
• Take deeper breaths (rather than short shallow breaths) to reduce the flight-or-fight mode created by the sympathetic nervous system

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

8/2 – Bored

Interviewers can sense when an applicant has high levels of knowledge/experience (in this case the highest level of K/E within the high/low segment) as sector terminology, industry references, and specific details stated by the applicant give unconscious clues to the interview panel. But the low level of confidence for 8/2 – Bored interviewees can come across as they aren’t interested in the position, even though they are. 

This perceived lack of interest kills the likability factor which will influence the job interview outcome. It is often the monotone voice, with an unchanging pitch, and/or the short snappy answers which shapes this negative illusion. It is rare for employers to recruit such an employee for a medium level position, as they believe that anyone who is bored in a job interview will surely be bored once employed. 

Many employers will recognise that the interviewee is anxious and will support the applicant throughout the interview, requesting more details and/or examples. If the nervous applicants fail to state the required criteria for the job role, the interviewer has little choice but to mark them low on the interview scorecard.

Strengths

Career professionals with an ‘8’ level of knowledge and experience are highly employable, as they possess a skill set that far surpasses that of what is required on most job adverts. 

Often qualified to at least a master’s level and/or having over 10 years’ industry-related experience, their knowledge base far exceeds other applicants. In fact, their industry insights can be at a level where they can build on proven sector models and theories, adding to the field. 

Such applicants’ temperaments will often suit their chosen career path: a creative mind for innovative industries or analytical brain for mathematical roles. This mixture of personality, knowledge and experience creates a most suitable, and often passionate, career professional who can deal with unforeseen sector-related problems with ease.

At their best ‘8’ knowledge/experience employees can redesign systems and processes and/or think of innovative ways to improve results never before thought of by colleagues working in the same industry. They also possess the insight to take ideas and technology from other sectors and make it relevant to their own.

Development 

Having a wealth of related knowledge isn’t always enough to secure job offers, even when their reputation has created a pre-interview halo effect. What is also required is the third rule of a successful interview – communicate with confidence. 

Positive slippage (i.e. the use of industry acronyms, referencing industry theories) creates a positive generalisation, “They must be an authority on the subject.” The long duration working within the sector should showcase competencies. Employers, seeing the potential value of an applicant, become interested, which is a short step away from desire. However, a weak communication style discourages intrigue. 

Intrigue and excitement are created through the use of stories, vocal variety and through non-verbal communication. It is the poor communication style, even when an employer is aware of the applicant’s high level of knowledge/experience, that leads to the perception of the applicant as being bored.

Hesitations, excessive filler words and short snappy sentences, as well as a lack of assertiveness, decrease likeability. Even when questions are asked, that are directly relevant to the applicant’s knowledge/experience, a lack of self-belief in one’s own abilities results in an overuse of negative self-disclosure, reducing the perceived level of suitability. 

A cold interviewer has a powerful negative effect on an 8/2 – Bored interviewee. Applicants believe the cold behaviour of the interviewer is down to their lack of skill and confidence (imposter syndrome), increasing their anxiety. To overcome this barrier, candidates need to externalise the interviewer’s behaviour, putting it down to their communication style and character rather than believing the interviewer’s actions are a result of the applicant’s own performance.

Advice for the job interview 

• Acknowledge that you are likely to be the most knowledgeable person in the room on your chosen expertise. This self-awareness of ability increases confidence
• When answering technical questions, state the potential negative outcome to the problem you are discussing, and the steps you took to achieve the desired solution required to solve the issue. The ‘problem-action-outcome’ structure increases the length of the interview answer, improving the number of criteria the employer can score you on
• Change tonality, volume, and speed to keep the employer engaged and listening. The more interviewers register, the more likely they are to give a higher score

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

6/4 – Indifferent

Possessing a medium level of knowledge/experience make applicants more employable as the candidate will possess a wealth of industry experience. During the job interview, they are able to identify the required criteria for the desired position, therefore give suitable high-scoring answers.

A sufficient level of confidence allows some good answers to come through, highlighting the applicant’s knowledge/experience, but this level of quality answer is sporadic. 

The result of the sporadic level of quality answers, some detailed and others lacking substance, comes across as if the applicant aren’t interested in the position for which they are applying. The 6/4 – Indifferent applicant can have success if the good answers are for the key criteria interview questions. 

Those 6/4 – Indifferent interviewees often perform well when all the interview questions relate easily to their direct experience. When questions are framed outside of their area of expertise, or when challenged on a technical point, the applicant will struggle to reply confidently which affects the employer’s perspective of their employability value.

Strengths

Being confident enough to share experiences as part of an interview answer helps to showcase the medium level of industry knowledge/experience. 

The knowledge level comes across as strong when applicants discuss, in detail, the sector models and theories they utilise during business as usual tasks. In fact, if all questions, and therefore the essential job criteria, relate directly to the applicants’ experience, they are likely to be offered the position. 

As highly accomplished workers with up to 10 years’ industry experience, they would have previously dealt with many unforeseen situations, giving them a diverse level of skills that can be utilised within a variety of sector roles. 

The pre-interview impression, the halo effect, is often strong especially for applicants who have gained a wide range of skills over an extensive career history. The positive impression created can positively influence the post-interview scoring process.

Development 

Familiar subjects may be easy to discuss, highlighting the applicant’s unique selling point, but the sufficient level of confidence increases the amount of unpromoted self-disclosure of weaknesses. It is the constant referencing of weaknesses that decreases the final overall interview score.

Likeability comes from an employer’s initial assessment of the applicant’s interpersonal skills, as well as their perceived intelligence. If an applicant is nervous at the interview start, creating a weak assessment, rapport can be low creating an uncomfortable interview. 

Low self-esteem can also increase awkwardness during silences when the interviewer is making notes. Interruptions or random comments, irrelevant to the job interview, can be annoying or at worst can weaken the perceived character of the applicant.

Learning the skill of only stating important facts relevant to the job criteria improves the perceived level of confidence and competence. The rule of ‘less is more’, in the case of self-disclosure weakness and interruptions, can remove negative associations that come from verbal diarrhoea.

Advice for the job interview 

• Start the majority of interview answers with a confirmation statement, “Yes, I am very experienced in …” Confirmation statements increase the perception of confidence and decrease the use of filler words during the start of an answer
• Imagine that you have to explain business-as-usual tasks to a new employee, not an interviewer. This will result in an in-depth step-by-step answer referencing all the required criteria 
• End the interview answer expecting a silence. Once ended, look up at the interviewer and wait for the response, which helps to switch the power balance

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

6/2 – Unresponsive

The lack of confidence of 6/2 – Unresponsive interviewees outweighs their medium level of knowledge/experience, leading to short snappy answers that lack detail. 

Some employers will encourage the interviewee throughout the question and answer process. Even hinting that they require more information, but the anxiety of a job interview can result in a poor performance that will make the interviewer remember the applicants for the wrong reasons, “We gave them every chance to answer the interview questions.” 

Many interviewers will create a bias at the interview start based on the candidate’s obvious nervousness that will influence the hiring decision. It is the 6/2 – Unresponsive interviewees’ consistent lack of good answers that results in regular job rejections. 

Against other highly confident applicants, 6/2 – Unresponsive interviewees will often fail unless they possess a unique desirable skill that they can express during the job interview. It is the lack of confidence that results in the 6/2 – Unresponsive sometimes working in positions below their level of knowledge/experience.

Strengths

Possessing at least a degree-level qualification and/or having worked in the sector for a high number of years, often in different roles gaining a diverse skill set, the highly accomplished applicant will easily meet the required criteria for medium-skilled positions. 

With a working knowledge of sector theories and models, plus, in many instances, actual experience of implementing processes into business as usual tasks, the 6/2 – Unresponsive applicant can be highly suitable for the advertised role. In addition, some highly skilled and experienced applicants can show their competencies by sharing examples of how they handled situations that could have resulted negatively for an organisation. 

When feeling confident, which is rare, or when a question relates to a subject they are passionate about, this wealth of experience can be expressed through detailed examples.

The expertise gained through many years working within the sector often results in applicants applying for managerial or specialist roles – a position they should excel in.

Development 

A career professional with a low level of confidence will often suffer from imposter syndrome. A lack of self-belief and self-worth is the applicant’s biggest barrier. A negative opinion of self comes across in the weak answers given to technical questions. Not only does a weak answer minimise the perceived level of knowledge and experience, it also reduces likeability. 

Even with evidence: the duration in a job sector, possessing a higher education qualification and/or industry-related successes, 6/2 – Unresponsive candidates feel inadequate for the role they are applying for. This results in a lack of self-promotion. 

Imposter syndrome is a belief. Beliefs can be challenged. Challenging a belief creates change. It is the negative generalisations that applicants tell themselves which build upon their limiting belief. By picking holes in the generalisation, the belief can be removed. An example of this would be an applicant asking, “What does good enough mean?” to the limiting belief, “I’m not good enough.” Or, “What skill do I excel in?” to the belief, “Everyone is better than me.” 

Self-deprecation will evolve into self-esteem when applicants become aware of and believe in their skill set. Collating evidence can be completed through a self-evaluation, 360-degree feedback, appraisals, and the reviewing of successful projects. Positive common themes, gained from various sources, become the new frame of reference. 

Advice for the job interview 

• Drink water between interview questions to stop the negative effects of a dry mouth. The duration of the water intake can be used to think of details for the forthcoming answer 
• When answering questions, imagine telling a story – a story requires a beginning, middle and end, which results in a higher word per answer ratio, helping to naturally discuss the job criteria 
• Purposely use varied language, singular and plural pronouns, power words and language that elicits a positive emotional response, to increase likeability

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

4/8 – Pretender

Self-assurance increases self-promotion. There is a fine line between being viewed as highly confident and being overbearing. 

The 4/8 – Pretenders believe they should be offered the position, as they possess a sufficient level of knowledge/experience and, due to high levels of confidence (or in most cases overconfidence) believe they can learn what they don’t already know. 

For high to medium skilled positions, employers are looking for a deeper understanding of industry insights that most sufficient levels of knowledge/experience candidates don’t possess. The high levels of confidence increase self-enhancement, with 4/8 – Pretenders downplaying their own limited knowledge and criticising others to be viewed, by comparison, as more skilled. 

Being overconfident in the correctness of their answers can ruin the applicants’ job chances, especially if the interviewer is an expert in the field. Expert interviewers will challenge any ambiguous statements they believe to be false. Self-absorbed applicants, preoccupied with their own self-importance, won’t back down on their (potentially incorrect) opinion.

Against other low/high applicants and for low-skilled roles, the 4/8 – Pretender will often be triumphant in the job interview. Against confident interviewees with more industry knowledge, they are unlikely to be successful. 

The 4/8 – Pretender, when applying for medium-skilled positions, will claim to know more about the role/sector without being able to back this up with evidence. A trained interviewer will spot the lies through the structured interview process, but an inexperienced interviewer may be duped, due to the candidate’s assertiveness and presence, into recruiting a lesser skilled staff member than they are expecting. 

Strengths 

Job interview success comes from following job interview rules 2 and 3; self-promotion with confident communication, something 4/8 – Pretender interviewees has in abundance. Their high level of confidence creates a strong identity of self. Believing in one’s own knowledge/experience increases the positive frame of any job interview answer. 

Interviewers, when meeting a highly confident interviewee, can quickly be in awe of the applicant, as charming and relaxed people are viewed as powerful, charismatic. With no inhibitions, self-assured individuals will make it clear what it is they can bring to the team, reciting stories that make them the hero. Even with a cold interviewer, the authoritative attitude carried throughout the interview wins the hardest to please people around. 

Being skilled in the art of confident communication leads to a persuasive manner, which helps when being challenged on past experiences. Questions that allow applicants to discuss any strengths or successes lead to a powerful and enthusiastic answer that expresses how they, and only they, have the unique talent required for the advertised position. 

In unstructured job interviews, interview presentations and at any time when they are in the limelight, being at the top of the confidence scale allows these applicants to showcase all they have to offer, often leading to high-scoring answers. 

Development

Highly confident individuals have no qualms about expressing how they will succeed in their career. This self-belief is a knife edge between being seen in awe, or as a potentially awful employee.

Having an inflated view of one’s own worth results in applicants applying for higher-skilled roles before they have gained the relevant industry knowhow. 

In some instances, the charming effect created because of high levels of confidence along with sufficient knowledge/experience is enough to land the desired job role. Expert interviewers, even though the initial impression was positive, will, in the main, give low marks as the 4/8 – Pretender’s answers lack expertise. In addition, technical questions have no substance as these applicants have little experience dealing with problems that sit outside of their own area of knowledge. 

Increasing the level of knowledge and experience is relatively easy for a ‘8’ confident applicant, as they can easily persuade senior colleagues to let them be a part of a new project, gaining valuable transferable skills and that all important required knowledge and experience. 

Many 4/8 – Pretender interviewees also have to learn not to oversell themselves at the interview start. Instead, the applicants can focus on their actual experience and how their knowledge will make a positive impact on the organisation (sell what you know). In addition, any research into the new role will improve their interview performance, as an ‘8’ confident level interviewee is at ease talking about subjects they have read up on.

Advice for the job interview

• Assess the job criteria against actual experience. Deliver engaging stories that focus on added value, highlighting sector-related strengths and qualities to increase high scoring answers
• Use known industry jargon throughout the job interview and build upon any industry facts or data the interviewer presents. This will improve the perceived level of sector knowledge 
• Break down processes into a step-by-step explanation as the number of words per answer increases the points awarded to the interview answer

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

4/6 – Misguided

The interview process is designed to uncover the interviewee’s strengths and weaknesses, through a series of questions. 

With a sufficient level of experience/knowledge, the 4/6 – Misguided applicant can often believe, due to the medium confidence level, that they are entitled to a higher-level position. This belief is unwarranted, as many other interview identities possess the same or a higher level of confidence, along with a higher level of expertise. 

Those 4/6 – Misguided interviewees feel confident as they may have had previous successes winning low-skilled positions against weaker candidates. This is because a medium level of confidence results in stronger self-promotion than that of a sufficient confident applicant. But employers recruiting medium-skilled workers demand a particular set of essential criteria. 

It is often the lack of ability to identify the job criteria, and therefore present the relevant skills embedded within the job interview answer(s), that is the downfall for a 4/6 – Misguided applicant.

Strengths

For low-skilled positions, 4/6 – Misguided candidates are likely to gain offers of employment when applying for roles that match their current level of knowledge/experience. The ability to speak with authority on subjects they are very familiar with, increases the employer’s respect resulting in high scoring answers. 

When discussing past experiences, communication is strong with answers being well-structured and to the point. The delivery style is also good, as confidence improves diction, pace, vocal variety, and emotive language. 

The medium level of confidence results in the use of relevant stories and examples, not just stating facts as a low confident interviewee would. This storytelling creates intrigue and interest, often scoring high as research tells us that a high number of words per answer increases interview points. 

Interview presentations also scored high as applicants have ample time to prepare in advance, helping them to be seen as more knowledgeable than they actually are. During the presentation itself, they come across as highly competent as they feel at ease being in the spotlight. 

Development

Having some industry experience and/or sector-related qualifications is enough to answer a few technical questions, but not enough to be viewed as an expert. 

The medium level of confidence can create an unrealistic self-identity, where 4/6 – Misguided interviewees believe they will be offered the job role. The scoring system of a structured interview can become their undoing with answers scoring low due to missing criteria. 

For promotional roles – attempting to gain work in medium-skilled positions, many of the competition will have higher level qualifications and therefore a greater understanding of sector theories and models. A longer period of direct experience helps a competitor feel competent when challenged on industry related problems. 

It is when challenged or asked to discuss a concept that the 4/6 – Misguided interviewee is unfamiliar with that causes a decrease in confidence, resulting in a weak answer. 

Requesting to be part of a team working on a new project in their current place of work, or to be mentored by a senior staff member can help to increase knowledge/experience improving the perceived ‘interview identity’. Learning from experts can be an educational shortcut. 

Gaining a degree level qualification increases knowledge of sector-related models and theories, helping applicants to answer questions where they lack actual work experience.

Advice for the job interview 

• Utilise self-debate to give a detailed answer by discussing the advantages and disadvantages the underlying skill or knowledge the interview question references 
• Explain sector-related theories and models relevant to the job role in question. Break these down into specifics as this will help you come across as knowledgeable
• Increase self-promotion; focus the main section of an interview answer on the added value you can bring to the team

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

2/8 Dishonest

Possessing the highest level of confidence and the lowest level of knowledge/experience increases verbal diarrhoea. The distance between the two axes; low knowledge/experience and high levels of confidence, sends off warning signals to the employer, creating the feeling of distrust. 

The 2/8 – Dishonest interviewee will answer interview questions quickly, assertively and confidently to cover up a lack of knowledge/experience. But this approach can come across as false, especially if the applicants state confidently that they possess a skill/experience that they don’t have. 

As we have discussed, self-promotion and rapport building influence the job interview, and hiring decisions are often based on initial impressions. With this in mind a 2/8 – Dishonest interviewee can be viewed, initially, to be more employable than they actually are, especially if the interviewee isn’t an expert. 

Often, overconfident interviewees will believe that they will be an asset to any organisation. Without a higher level of expertise, it is unlikely, but not impossible, that they would be offered any position above a low-skilled role. This comes down to the scoring system of the structured job interview. 

Strengths

Everything about the applicant oozes confidence: relaxed posture, warming smile, and a natural ability to make other, more senior career professionals, ask for their opinion. Even the candidate’s outfit, walk and tonality create the impression of a self-assured individual.

Often, when going to meet the interviewee, the interviewer will find the candidate having a relaxed conversation with the receptionist, helping to create a positive first impression. Once the employer introduces themselves, the confident applicant will give their full attention to the interviewer; strong eye contact, a powerful handshake and a confident introduction, all help to build the feeling of trust from the outset. 

In the interview, it will often be the interviewee, not the interviewer, who will generate small talk, finding common interest to discuss. This ability to create rapport with everyone they meet, reassures interviewers that they offered the interview appointment to the right candidate.

Each interview answer is delivered using stories and anecdotes, creating interest in the interview panel. When listening to the interviewers, the 2/8 – Dishonest interviewee will nod along and agree with their comments and ideas, using the ‘if I like you, you will like me’ psychological process for rapport building.

Development 

The high level of confidence can be enough to win some employers’ trust, increasing job offers, but this really depends on which type of low-skilled position the applicant is applying for. 

In the main, employers require a level of knowledge and experience for an interviewee to be successful. As the interviewer questions overconfident applicants on their understanding of the job criteria and their sector knowledge, rapport starts to break down. 

The employer has expected the candidate to be an industry expert or at least to have a medium level of knowledge and experience, presumed through the candidate’s high level of confidence. The nodding and agreement with the interviewer’s points, from the candidate, would be viewed as having similar opinions (a likeability factor) but as the falsehood is uncovered the interviewers will feel that they have been deceived, breaking rapport and seeding distrust.

What is needed here, is an understanding of the job criteria (rule 1 of a successful interview) to help form a structured interview answer. Even with a list of criteria it can be hard for a low level of experience applicant to state enough relevant knowledge/experiences to gain high-scoring interview answers. 

To overcome this obvious barrier the job hunter needs to gain an industry related qualification and/or sector experience. Gaining even a minimum understanding of a sector and having industry-related work experience, when combined with a high level of confidence can result in accelerated career advancement.

Being able to show understanding of an industry, along with a high level of confidence is enough to be seen as credible and likeable: a winning combination.

Advice for the job interview 

• Agree, rather than disagree, if an employer picks up on any industry related errors discussed during an interview answer. To avoid confrontation, use an agreement frame, “Yes, of course you are correct, what I meant to say was …”
• Promote your high level of confidence as a specialised skill, backing this skill up with other valuable, industry-related, qualities
• Generate a conversation. Ask additional questions, and give the employer your full attention as this generates a powerful level of likeability

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

2/6 – Insincere

Confidence is an advantage in a job interview, as referred to in the high/high segment. However, when combined with low knowledge/experience, the increased self-assurance can be seen as hollow – you talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? 

Often, medium confident individuals will make up for their lack of knowledge/experience by increasing verbal communication without making reference to the job criteria, confusing the interviewer. 

Unlike their high confident counterparts, who can use their personas to influence the interview outcome with a non-expert interviewer, the 2/6 – Insincere interviewee doesn’t have the required level of confidence to sway the interviewer’s opinion. This is because the lack of knowledge/experience puts the applicant on the back foot. 

Depending on the interviewer, the medium confidence level can be enough to secure some job offers above the low-skilled job level, but in most cases, the lack of expertise results only in low-skilled positions.

Strengths

Initial impressions are often strong with a 2/6 – Insincere as they present well and speak with authority on subjects they know well. This rapport building ability puts the interviewer at ease. 

Confidence increases self-promotion. If the applicants are proactive, spending time researching the job criteria, they can design and practice high scoring answers. 

Repeating well-rehearsed skill-based answers and using any known industry jargon can give the impression of having a higher level of knowledge/experience than they have. Only when challenged by an expert interviewer, do these applicants lose their ability to sell themselves. 

On non-technical interview questions and during informal job interviews the 2/6 – Insincere applicant does well. When asked specific sector-related questions they are likely to fail in their attempt to impress the recruiter.

Development

Expectations are high after an initial positive introduction. It is the contrast of a perceived high level of knowledge/experience assumed by the employer due to the applicant’s confidence level, and the actual truth, which is often uncovered during technical questions, where the insincere identity is created. 

Having virtually no industry-related experience is the barrier here. For voluntary positions the medium confidence level is enough to get a foot in the door. For low-skilled roles, employers are looking for a minimum level of related knowledge or experience which could be gained quickly through voluntary opportunities and/or educational pathways.

To improve this area of weakness, gaining an industry related qualification will not only allow them to understand industry-related jargon, they will also possess practical understanding of how to implement sector models or theories into business as usual tasks.

In addition, understanding the job criteria, industry jargon and commonly used processes can help. In the main, to gain a paid position where actual work experience or a related qualification is required.

Advice for the job interview 

• Pick and research an industry-related news story prior to the job interview. Discuss with the employer before the interview start, as this will seed the idea of the applicant being knowledgeable – the halo effect 
• Talk in depth about familiar sector-related topics, using well-known industry jargon when possible 
• Reference the job criteria using non-work-related examples (or work-related examples if you have these). Personal stories can be utilised to highlight relevant skills and qualities.

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

4/4 – Unprofessional

Out of all the low/low identities, the 4/4 – Unprofessional interviewee is the most likely job applicant, in this segment, to be offered a paid position. But, compared to other applicants from the additional three segments, the 4/4 – Unprofessional applicant will be seen as a weaker candidate. 

The employer will be aware of the 4/4 –Unprofessional applicant’s knowledge/experience level as the candidate has a sufficient level of confidence that allows the interviewee to give a more detailed reply to job interview questions. This detail allows the interviewer to gain an understanding of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. 

In most recruitment campaigns, a 4/4 – Unprofessional interviewee will be seen as below the required level of standard for paid employment. For some large recruitment drives and/or for large organisations or voluntary employers, who have the time to support a new recruit, the 4/4 – Unprofessional interviewee can have a successful interview outcome

Strengths 

The combination of the sufficient knowledge/experience and confidence shows potential. It is the competition, which possess a higher level of knowledge/experience and/or level of confidence that are more likely to be offered the paid position. 

Being in possession of several soft skills makes the 4/4 – Unprofessional applicant suitable for several potential career sectors. It is sometimes a lack of career focus that creates this identity. The ‘interview identity’ can change once the interviewee has a defined career objective, as the new focus creates more relevant interview answers referencing the required skill set. 

The confidence to talk about previous experiences allows employers to gain an understanding of the candidate’s work ethic. This is key for employers who are looking to recruit applicants to fit in with their company culture.

As there is a lack of challenging questions for voluntary, and some low skilled positions, the sufficient level of confidence allows the interview, in the main, to run smoothly.

Development 

Initially, a reflection on the applicant’s interview performance is required to identify the key area of development; perceived knowledge/experience or level of confidence. By working on whichever criteria is weakest can change the perceived ‘interview identity’. 

Developing a criteria (skill, knowledge or experience) that is deemed by the employer to be important can move the perceived level of knowledge/experience from sufficient to medium. 

For voluntary positions, the barrier to employment could be the lack of a qualification, e.g. a forklift truck licence certificate for a warehouse role or for higher skilled positions, becoming an expert in, as an example, algorithms for IT positions. 

Having sufficient confidence, with an increase in knowledge/experience can be enough for candidates to progress up the career ladder. 

Experience within a sector, even if this means working at a low-skilled job for a number of years, improves the chances of applying for promotional positions. The duration in a field creates familiarity with industry jargon, sector models and industry processes. 

It is the sufficient confidence level that creates the unprofessional identity of a 4/4 interview identity. More self-assured applicants naturally utilise rule 2 and 3 for a successful interview outcome; they are confident self-promoters. 

To improve confidence, the 4/4 – Unprofessional needs to become aware of the volume of self-disclosed weaknesses (a common practice for this interview identity). In addition, showing eagerness, interest and a passion for the industry and job role changes the employer’s perception of the candidate.

Confidence can be developed through taking classes such as public speaking or improvisation and through mock job interviews, to help refine the interview answers.

Advice for the job interview 

• Focus interview answers on strengths and successes. If a weakness is self-disclosed, explain what was learned from the experience not the weakness itself 
• Ask for specifics for any ambiguous interview questions to ensure that the answer meets the criteria for that particular question
• Allow natural hand gestures throughout the interview to reinforce verbal-communication and to be viewed as confident 

Research: IPG

Congratulations on completing the Interview Prediction Grid Test (IPG) ©2020.

Below is a breakdown of your Interview Identity

4/2 – Amateurish

The 4/2 – Amateurish interviewees may highlight their sufficient level of knowledge/experience (at this level of job role, the knowledge/experience includes soft skills: communication, teamwork, problem-solving) during the job interview question-and-answer process, but each answer is delivered in an unskilled way, due to a low level of confidence. 

The employer will get the gist of the meaning of the answer but, depending on how the answer has been delivered (often lacking substance), the meaning will often be misunderstood creating the impression of amateurish. 

A cold interviewer will further reduce the applicant’s confidence which can result in a poor interview performance.

Strengths

Possessing the required soft skills for voluntary, and possibly low-skilled positions, increases the chances of a job offer. For some 4/2 – Amateurish applicants they may even possess a unique skill that would make them highly desirable, once they have gained the confidence to promote their expertise. 

Many introverts, not that introvertism equals low confidence, are geniuses, or highly skilled, but job offers are awarded to the candidates who follow the second rule for a successful job interview – being a self-promoter. 

Those 4/2 – Amateurish will either have sufficient soft skills suitable for a position up to a low-skilled job role or perhaps possess a higher level of knowledge/experience that they struggle to express in the confines of a job interview environment.

Development 

A structured interview answer increases the perceived level of confidence. As does pausing during interview answers, reducing the use of filler words and improving eye contact. 

For voluntary roles, using stories to explain a skill set or experience will improve likeability. Using a story formula has an extra benefit; stories are easier to remember then industry facts and data, allowing the applicant to communicate more confidently. 

Applicants with an expertise who, due to anxiety, can’t express this in the interview can use deep rhythmic breathing prior to the interview. Rhythmic breathing reduces the internal stress response which is increased in situations when you are the centre of attention. Standing in a confident posture also increases confidence through the mind-body cycle. 

Interview preparation is key for a low level of confidence applicant, as repetition improves memory muscle. To increase likeability, express emotions and smile throughout the job interview.

Advice for the job interview 

• Use an ‘interview formula’ to create a structured interview answer, naturally increasing the duration of the reply. Research has shown how a high number of words per answer improves interview scores
• Sit with a straight back, head held high and look directly at the interviewer(s) when talking. Power postures, due to the mind-body cycle, increases confidence
• Use the time when an employer is asking a question to breathe deeply. Deep breathing, circulating oxygen around the body, helps to relax the mind

Research: IPG