Beware of Overtalking During Zoom Interviews
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People seem to be talking too much during video interviews. A Chronicle of Higher Education article describes two possible reasons.
One is that job candidates want to build relationships and may overtalk in a somewhat desperate attempt to connect. After a year without intimacy, we might be overcompensating. I can imagine this applying to other types of meetings and presentations as well.
Second, visual cues are tough to see on video. The void isn’t quite as cavernous as during phone interviews, but still, it’s difficult to see subtle gestures. Imagine that an interviewer is leaning forward, changing a facial expression, or raising a hand slightly. These could be missed, particularly if a candidate is meeting with a group of people.
Next time you have an interview, try to pay attention to cues and allow people to interrupt you. You might also keep your answers a bit shorter—just in case. Allow time for follow-up questions.
