A personal interview or HR interview can be a very challenging hurdle to cross in your selection process, be it for a job, an internship, or a college application. With training and knowledge of the right interview tactics, it is possible to maneuver an interview in a favorable direction. This article will introduce you to one such technique, ‘the hook’. In contrast to the commonly accepted notion that the candidate has no control over the flow of an interview, this article will show you how you can influence the flow of the interview.
Imagine an interview scenario, where the interviewer has started to ask you a question in an area or topic you are not confident about. You really don’t want to engage in a detailed discussion on that topic as it isn’t one of your strong areas. Imagine another scenario in which you have a certain topic or project that you really want to discuss in your interview that you think will set a great impression about you as a candidate. How do you get the interviewer to not go down a path of questions you want to avoid and towards a topic you want to discuss?
This is where interview hooks come into play. Dropping a hook in your interview is essentially a way of redirecting your interviewer. The interviewee can do this by mentioning a certain topic/area that they want the interviewer to ask about. This can be done at any point in your interview. For example, say that you have applied for a position as a social media marketing intern and the interviewer asks you about your past experiences in the same. If you do not have direct past experiences, you can redirect the interviewer to other past experiences that you have that involve similar skills.
Let us look at specific techniques of implementing a hook in your interview:
Strategy 1: (Easy)
The best place to drop hints to an interviewer that you want to discuss a certain topic is at the very start of an interview when you answer the question “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your resume/cv”.
Strategy 2: (Medium)
You can initiate a discussion on a topic by linking it to the current topic of discussion. As you answer the question that the interviewer has asked you, link your response to the topic area you want the interviewer to ask you about.
Example 1:
Interviewer: What do you think is the impact of responding late to a client's query?
Candidate: The impacts are...I have noticed this first hand, through one of the initiative XYZ that I was coordinating…
^ Here, the candidate is trying to make the interviewer ask more about this initiative XYZ, even though it was not asked by the interviewer.
Example 2:
Interviewer: Can you describe your past experiences with analyzing the debt structure of a company?
Candidate: Analyzing the debt structure of a company involves utilizing appropriate mathematical models. While I do not have prior experience in analyzing the debt structure of a company, I have worked extensively with mathematical models to predict the future cash flows of a firm. I had done the same for ABC and XYZ. I can use these skills to quickly learn and perform analysis of company debt structures as well.
^ Here, the candidate is trying to drive the conversation towards the projects ABC and XYZ.
Strategy 3: (Hard)
Another way to draw attention to a topic of your interest is by using analogies. Draw an analogy from your interested topic area to the current topic of discussion.
Example:
Interviewer: What do you think are 3 key essentials for successful teamwork in a software company?
Candidate: A good way to observe team playing skills is in football. 3 key essentials in teamwork are L, M, and O. We can see these same three qualities are essential to successful teamwork in a corporation as they are in football as…
^ Here, the candidate has an extensive background as a state-level football player and wants the interviewer to discuss more about what he has learnt as a football player and how that can help him in the job he is applying for.
Note: The analogies technique is very difficult and you should not attempt it directly in an interview, without prior practice.
Practicing the technique
Although it may sound easy, it is essential to practice the above techniques before using them in an actual interview. Two ways to practice it:
Take a few mock interviews, and try to use the strategies discussed above
You can also attempt to use the above strategies in general discussions you have with your friends/family or even in your classroom.
Identifying the right hook
You need to carefully select your hook. Your hook should be something unique about you, that sets you apart from the other candidates, something that is related to the job role and what the interviewer is looking for in an ideal candidate.
Word of Caution
While such techniques can come handy during an interview, you should bear in mind that they don’t always work. Despite dropping multiple hooks, the interview may just ignore them and continue with their line of questioning. So don’t get disheartened and don’t spend all your time just trying to use hooks, but rather pay attention to the questions being asked.
Effectively using hooks requires prior practice. Your linking of one topic to another should appear seamless to the interviewer, and not something forced or disconnected.
With the above pointers and strategies, you are ready to begin using hooks in your interview and redirect the interviewer in the direction you want the interview to go in.
Here are some additional links that you may want to visit:
Further Reading:
How to build a professional CV to get shortlisted
Sign up for a session on interview preparation for further guidance.
Subscribe to the website and follow us on Instagram or LinkedIn to be notified about new resources on internships, CV-building, interview preparation, and more.
All the best!
