When you try to prepare for an interview, one of the first things people tell you is to stick with short answers. However, the truth is that you will find situations when you need to share longer answers. Is that a good idea, or should you always stick to a brief response?
Keeps the Interviewer Engaged
The important thing you need to realize when it comes to interviews is that your interviewer will deal with lots of people during that day. So you want to avoid wasting their time, yet you also need to stand out. You want to ensure you answer the question properly and share all the details you need. Don’t overextend an answer just to take extra time. If anything, you want to provide the necessary amount of time to ensure you grab the attention of the interviewer.
That means you must find the right balance. In general, you want an answer to be under 90 seconds. If it’s longer than that, then you might lose the attention of your interviewer. Then again, if it’s under 40 seconds, then you might not share all the necessary details.
You Were Already Allocated A Certain Amount Of Time, So Use It
Everyone attending the interview will try to make the most out of their allocated time. You should do the same. If you don’t offer enough details and info about yourself or what you’re bringing to the table, others will do so. That’s why you don’t want your interview responses to be very brief. If anything, you want to provide details where necessary, and thus make the most out of your time with the interviewer.
You Can Share More Details About Yourself
One of the reasons why you want to have a longer interview response is because sometimes you actually need to share more details. Keeping things too brief might be a disadvantage. You want to show accolades and talk about those things that make you perfect for the job in question. If not, others will do that and stand out.
Even if you can stick to short interview responses, that doesn’t mean you need to do that. If anything, you should go for lengthier replies if necessary, as that will help quite a bit. You’ll inform the interviewer and provide them with adequate information, and that might also give you the upper hand against any competitors. So don’t hesitate to share a lengthy reply to interview questions, if you feel the need to share more details and info!