Site Review: How To Nail An Interview

What is How To Nail An Interview?

The short answer is that it’s a site with job interview tips. The long answer is more complex.

It seems that the creator of this site, Steinar Skipsness, wanted to do an experiment to determine why people fail in interviews. So he created a fake job posting on Craigslist, rented some cheap office space, then held “real” interviews (which he recorded). The result is a collection of tips on how to excel in a job interview derived from the litany of mistakes, gaffes, and embarrassing situations he witnessed during this experiment.

In his own words:

What is it that certain people say or do while interviewing that makes them stand out? Why do some people struggle to find work, while others land a job in no time? I wanted to know, and the only way to find out was to experience the interview from the other side of the table. If I could be the one asking the interview questions, not answering, I could see first hand what made candidates stand out. I could then take that knowledge and cater my behavior in any future job interview to give myself the best chance of getting hired.

When the site first loaded up, I did what I expect many people do: skip right to the videos. However, after watching two or three, I started to think that this was scripted with actors. Apparently, it isn’t. While I find it hard to believe that people would act like this in an interview, it’s certainly possible. If so, I just hope they stop by Gradversity in the future for some good, old fashioned interview advice.

On with the review…

The Good:

• The site is simple, linear, and easy to navigate through. This seems to be a rarity these days.
• There is actually a lot of great advice on the site. There is nothing that is truly groundbreaking, but the advice is solid and worth following.
• I particularly like his advice on selling yourself in 10 seconds or less. When you are faced with a busy employer, you need to be able to cut to the chase quickly. Refining and practicing your elevator pitch will help you do this.

The Bad:

• I don’t like to see anyone being used as a public example of “bad” interview technique, even if they signed a waiver prior to being filmed (which each person apparently did before their interview). Regardless of whether they agreed to allow the video to be posted on the site, it could still come back to haunt them down the line.
• The site seems to be more about embarrassing those people who made mistakes and less about “Nailing the Interview”. Just my interpretation.

The Ugly:

• The music is downright painful to listen to. I wanted to cry each time I heard the circus tune that plays at the start of each video.
• The flirting girl. ‘Nuff said.
  

The Result:

I really like the idea for this site. However, I think that the execution is lacking. With a little more work, a tighter focus, and a less carnival-like approach to the videos, this might be less cringe-worthy.