Subcultureoftwo_small
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Playing hard-to-get in a job interview. Yay or nay?

Had an interview a month ago. It went really well, but I didn't get the job (overqualified). The day I came back from the interview, brother-in-law said the key to interviews is playing a little hard to get. Interview THEM, find out what's in it for you, etc. It makes them feel like you're a desirable commodity.

In that particular interview, playing hard-to-get would have been stupid, because I had to buy two plane tickets (out of my own pocket) to even get there. I REALLY wanted that job. Apart from that, playing hard-to-get makes me uncomfortable. I mean, I'm not grabbing onto their ankles. I express strong interest without desperation. I only say positive things about my last job. I have lots of good questions for them at the end of the interview. But playing hard-to-get just seems like playing with fire.

What do you guys think? Good idea? Bad idea? Qualified good or bad?

Sacrelicious asked in Job Hunting 4 months ago | Report

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  • Hey_girl_hey_small
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    Dan Williams

    Good question.

    I would advise you against playing "hard to get" in the traditional sense but definitely encourage you to use interviews as an opportunity to interview the prospective employer.

    You can do this in a number of ways. One way is when they ask you a question ask for clarification or turn the question back on the asker. This could get you more information and also allow you time to formulate a stronger answer if one doesn’t come to mind immediately. Another way is to ask very thorough and engaging questions at the end of the interview.

    Definitely appear interested in the job but you would also likely want to play it a little cool so you do seem like you have a number of opportunities that you are considering.

    You could also maybe tighten up your answers to their questions. One thing you might not be doing in your interviews is speaking in specific terms. A lot of candidates will speak about their skills and contributions in general terms, especially if they worked in a highly collaborative environment. Practice framing your answers in the "problem, action, results" (PAR) style. When asked a question put forth a real world example where there was a business problem, articulate the action you took to address this problem, and share the specific result.

    At the end of the day you want to leave prospective employers with a concrete vision of who you are and what you would bring to their position/company and the impression that you are interested.

    If you play too hard to get you will risk being thought of as arrogant and might not get the job.

    Hope this helps and good luck in your next interview.

    Dan Williams answered in Job Hunting 4 months ago | Report
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  • Bauhaus_small
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    Bauhaus

    The hard-to-get act may work for some. Never worked for me. Every job I ever got I had to hound the shit out of them until they hired me or made a decision to go with somebody else. As an aside, I think it's the ultimate in bad manners for an employer to not let someone know right away - one way or the other - about a position. I interviewed with people who thought I could wait weeks or a month or two before finding out if I made the cut. I never looked for work unless I was - well - rather desperate to work. So, I didn't appreciate the element of coolness I faced and I didn't return that aloofness.

    Sorry you spent dough on plane tickets for an iffy proposition. I wouldn't have done that unless I had some guarantees. And because you did pay to get to your interview, the hard-to-get act would have rung false anyway. They know you had to fork out the bucks to travel. If you were that hard-to-get, they would have flown you in on their dime, right?

    So, I think upfront-ness(?) and naturalness and honesty work better than posing. I don't want to work for a company that requires that I be that which I am not. If you are broke and hungry, there's no shame in saying that you really need the job and you are prepared to give it your all. If they can't dig that, fuck 'em.

    Break a leg, Sac.

    Bauhaus answered in Job Hunting 3 months ago | Report
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  • Spaceship_small
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    I would think that playing hard to get is ultimately self-defeating. After all, the purpose of applying for a job is to be hired.
    And, you showed up for the job interview because you want the job.
    So why send signals that you're not convinced, or that you might not be interested. You could talk yourself right out of the job if you succeed in convincing them.

    I would vote no.

    On the other hand, if THEY are pursuing YOU... that's another matter...

    O my captain answered in Job Hunting 4 months ago | Report
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  • Dinolock_small
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    There are times when it's very smart to play hard to get, but I can tell you already that if you paid for the flight to interview, it is almost certainly not one of those times.

    Once or twice a year some recruiter will try to poach me for some gigantic faceless corporation and I enjoy fucking with them -- playing impossible-to-get and leading them on for my own amusement.

    They have nearly doubled salary offers, thrown out "anything you want you can have" benefit packages, and offered pretty much vacation packages just to interview. The flexibility of recruiters has been an eye opening experience that I won't forget when I get bored in 3-5 years and switch jobs at my own leisure.

    protosaurus answered in Job Hunting 4 months ago | Report
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  • Enso_circle_small
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    Nothing to add to what Dan said, apart from offering my commiserations. What a bummer.

    Can you call or email anyone on the panel for feedback? Done well that can not only help you in future, but keep you on their radar if something goes wrong with the person who did get the job.

    ozchick answered in Job Hunting 4 months ago | Report
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  • Qlandav2ex_small
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    In general, I would say the best tact is to exude the knowledge, skills, confidence, enthusiasm, and ability to work within their model of organization.
    In other words, leave them with the dilemma that if they don't hire you right away, then they are really going to miss out.

    You can address the overqualified issue by speaking about your current career direction/goals and why working at this new position is a good fit for you and a plus for them.

    Russ Campbell, NWEBS answered in Job Hunting 4 months ago | Report
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  • Bierce1_small
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    That's not "hard to get", that's about appearing interested in the job versus not needing the job. That actually seems the opposite of "hard to get" in my book.

    Black Beetles in Amber answered in Job Hunting 4 months ago | Report
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