I've been running a lot of mock interviews with clients over the past few weeks.

One thing that keeps coming up is the pressure people put on themselves to have the perfect answer for every question. They're worried about saying the wrong thing, forgetting an example, or not sounding polished enough.

I understand why that becomes the focus. Interviews can feel incredibly high stakes, and when you've been looking for a job for months, it's easy to believe one imperfect answer is the reason you didn't get the offer.

The more mock interviews I do though, the less I think that's the main problem.

During one session this week, I noticed a client working incredibly hard to answer one of my questions: "What's the project you're most proud of, and why?" 

They weren't struggling because they didn't have a good example. They were trying to fit everything into their answer. Every detail. Every decision. Every piece of context. They were working so hard to tell the complete story that it stopped feeling like a conversation.

We paused for a minute, and I asked them a simple question.

"What do you think I'm actually trying to learn about you with this question?"

They thought for a second before saying, "I guess... you're trying to understand if I can ship products and deliver results." 

Exactly. 

That shifted the rest of the session. It also reminded me of something I think a lot of candidates misunderstand about interviews.

Most people prepare as if they're being evaluated on the quality of their answers. They assume the interviewer is looking for the perfect example, the perfect wording, or the perfect story.

I don't think that's what's happening. It’s not so much like a theatrical performance. 

I think interviewers instead are trying to reduce uncertainty. Derisk you as a candidate by invoking more evidence and hearing a clear story.

They need to understand whether you can do the work, whether you'd be someone they enjoy working with, whether you're thoughtful, and whether they can picture trusting you in the role. Every interview question is really just another way of reducing that uncertainty.

When I started thinking about interviews that way, the advice I gave clients started to change too.

Instead of trying to script the perfect answer to every possible question, I encourage people to spend more time getting familiar with their own experiences. Think about the projects that best represent how you solve problems, make decisions, collaborate with others, and learn from mistakes. 

You don't need to memorize those stories word for word. In fact, write bullet points instead of the full version. You just need to understand them well enough that you can talk about them naturally.

Ironically, the candidates who come across as the most confident usually aren't the ones with the most polished answers. They're the ones who are comfortable slowing down, asking a clarifying question when they need to, and taking a moment to think before responding. They sound confident because they're trying to communicate clearly, not because they're trying to impress someone.

If you're getting ready for interviews, spend a little less time asking yourself, "What's the perfect answer to this question?" and a little more time asking, "What is this interviewer actually trying to learn about me?" That shift tends to make your answers feel more natural because you're focused on reducing uncertainty instead of delivering a perfect performance.

After all of the mock interviews I've run, one thing continues to surprise me. Strong candidates rarely struggle because they don't have good experiences to talk about. More often, they struggle because they're trying so hard to give the perfect answer that they never give the interviewer what they're actually looking for: enough confidence to believe they'd be great to work with. 

Making this shift takes practice and work, and for that it’s been one of the most rewarding aspects of coaching for me.

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Need help with interviews?

I run a small number of Interview Performance Sprints for people who want dedicated practice and feedback before interviews. If you have one coming up, you can learn more and let me know you're interested here.