You’re all set for your interview; you have on a new outfit, your shoes are shined, and your hair is as good as it’s going to get. So, what can go wrong? Plenty, if you concentrate more on how you look than on what you say and how you say it.

If you are a savvy applicant, you will pay close attention to the people who are  interviewing you. Watch their body language. Do they really seem interested in what you are saying, or do they seem preoccupied, fidgeting, stifling a yawn? Like it or not, they are giving you some powerful information.

To gain insight to what is going wrong with how you present yourself, consider what people who know you best have told you in the past.  If they have told you that you talk too much, talk in circles, don’t say enough, or jump all over the place, you can bet that you’re doing the same thing in an interview. If you can isolate the problem you can work on it.

You talk too much: Problem may be that you are over-answering questions by going off on tangents, giving too many examples, or just bumbling along until you come to an answer that might possibly work.  Instead, listen carefully to what is being asked. Clarify your understanding of the question, and stick to a response that covers that, and no more. Practice with your friends. Be sure to give them permission to tell you when you’re going on too long.

You don’t say enough: You may have noticed that your interviews are filled with awkward pauses. You say your piece in ten words or less, expecting that the interviewer will ask you to expound if interested.  Rather than suggesting that you say more, the observer may instead note that you appear guarded in your responses.  That’s a negative. By editing  too tightly you are removing substance along with color and creativity. Unless you’re told to be brief, elaborate. Don’t wait for an invitation, you probably won’t get one.  Invite your family or friends to quiz you with interview questions. Practice expanding your responses until it feels more natural to say more than you are accustomed.  Ask for candid feedback on your performance.

You’re talking in circles! You may be adding a global perspective to each of your answers, without regard to the question being asked. If you’re not sure what interviewers are looking for in your response, ask!  Test yourself by asking friends if you tend to stray from issues, enlarging them beyond what is being discussed, and  if your answers are difficult to follow. Rather than persist in a response style that may be working against you, ask a friendly critic for constructive advice on how to answer questions more directly.

You may be ignoring the interviewer’s role: In an interview, the employer is both host and gatekeeper. The interviewer directs the flow of the conversation, describing the responsibilities of the job and the goals of the company. A competent interviewer draws you out without being threatening, and enables you to highlight your strengths and describe your professional needs. The data that you provide is used to compare your abilities to those of your competition. A good interview should feel like a good conversation, with the interviewer controlling about sixty percent of the time allotted. If you stymie the process by dominating and therefore are not responding to questions, essential information will be left out and replaced with misinterpretation.

What is the role of the applicant? Since no one can tell your story better than you, come prepared to do just that. Be able to draw upon past experiences to illustrate your strengths. Describe your professional goals and the objectives you have for achieving them.

Be authentic: The best candidates are the ones who have the self-awareness to know which environments and positions best showcase their talents. Interview where there is the greatest potential for mutual benefit and long term success.

Put your next foot forward: Close the interview by asking, “What happens next?” If they say they’ll call you, ask when you should expect that call. If they tell you to call them, ask when would be the appropriate time. If they say that they are interviewing several qualified candidates, ask when they expect to finish. Then follow up!  The best way to keep your hopes alive is by staying active in the process. If you want the job, you’ll have to ask for it. Confidently.