I was recently asked by a candidate, "What are some of the most common interviewing problems you encounter when interviewing candidates?" It didn't take a lot of thought to come with an answer. In fact, I thought this answer could be a book.

Candidates do some really, let's just say, unique things in interviews. Some of my favorites, they swear like the proverbial drunken sailor, put their feet up on a table, accept cell phone calls in the interview, reply to text messages, ask the interviewer to wait while they finish a call, dress inappropriately, chew gum and blow bubbles, just to name a few off the top of my head.

One of my personal favorites is how a candidate answered the question about why they were late to the interview, "They overslept because they were out late the night before drinking." At least they were an honest person.

I find the two biggest mistakes candidates make are not answering the question and failure to ask for clarification when they don't understand the question. Here are some common problems that happen when one of these occur:

The kitchen sink answer: Candidates answer the question so it includes everything they've ever done. They ramble on for what seems like forever hoping that if they talk long enough the person will forget the question they asked.

The politician answer: They don't answer the interviewer's question. Instead they answer the question they wanted the interviewer to ask or give a preplanned answer to every question.

The dentist answer: Their answers are so short it is like pulling teeth to get a complete and thorough answer.

Multiple choice answer: The candidate wants to make sure they don't leave anything out so they rattle off a list of accomplishments and skills, leaving it up to the interviewer to pick from this list the ones they feel best fits the question.

For some reason candidates have a fear of asking for clarification when they don't understand the question. If you don't understand the question don't be afraid to ask for clarification. Making sure you answer the question properly is far more important than answering it incorrectly or one of the ways previously mentioned. I also believe the interviewer will respect you more for asking them to clarify. After all wouldn't you do that if you were working for the person and they were not clear on what they wanted you to do.

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