During the lockdowns (and still to this day I became a little bit ‘bingey’ with real-life crime-based YouTube Channels, most notable That Chapter and for the purposes of this article, JCS Criminal Psychology.
The videos deconstruct the behaviour of police suspects and persons of interest, highlighting the obvious signs of lying or embellishment.
Now I’m not saying that a for every job interview that you’re somehow trying to cover up that grisly murder you may have been involved with last week, but what you want to be aware of is just how how much you give away about yourself without even realising it.
Guilty suspects on the JCS Youtube channel almost always overtalked in their false explanations of their movements & motives – it is a scattergun search for acceptance from the interviewer – and a defence mechanism to buy time for their brain. Non-guilty suspects are almost always calm, confident and efficient in their use of words.
Over-explaining is related strongly to anxiety, and we all know anxiety can undermine your chances in an interview. You know what it’s like – a question comes in from left field (that you have no answer for) and it ends up being an oscar-worthy speech full of tangents about everything and nothing.
Not all interviewers are out there to get you. They want to get the most detailed and genuine picture about who you are.
So if this all sounds like you – don’t despair. Take your time, prepare well for the interview, breathe and of course… practice makes perfect.