Taking the lead: how to take control in your next job interview

Job interviews can be incredibly stressful, and candidates can often feel anxious and tongue-tied while interviewers seem to have all the power in the room.

However, with the right strategy, you can shift that balance. Taking intentional and strategic control of the conversation, when done respectfully, can actually demonstrate confidence, leadership ability, and fit for the role.

Outright domination or combativeness will of course negatively impact your chances, however ceding complete control to your interviewer may also convey passiveness.

An assertive, confident candidate demonstrates how they can bring those traits as an employee by using and showing strong communication skills, that they embrace challenges, and being willing to go the extra mile to do a job well.

1. Balance confidence with respect

Walking the line between confidence and respect can be tricky in a job interview. You want to firmly establish your qualifications and fit for the role while being attentive and considerate toward your interviewer. Striking this balance starts with preparation and mindset.

Preparation begins with doing your research. Know everything you can about the company, the role, and the person or people you will be interviewing with.

Take this work to the next level by identifying things you might have in common that can help you build rapport in the meeting by creating meaningful and authentic connections with your interviewers.

Approach the interview with quiet confidence, firmly rooted in the knowledge of your experience and what you can do while being aware of anything that could come across as potential arrogance.

Approach the interview with quiet confidence, firmly rooted in the knowledge of your experience and what you can do while being aware of anything that could come across as potential arrogance.

Remind yourself that you have every right to be sitting across from the interviewer, then prepare stories and examples that highlight your competence and why you’re a good fit.

As the interview progresses, speak clearly and make frequent eye contact. Maximize your time to illustrate your strengths, without dominating the meeting. After the interviewer finishes a question, pause to collect your thoughts before responding.

Avoid interrupting the interviewer and listen closely to their full comments, inquiries, and concerns. Expressing impatience or distraction while they talk destroys your credibility as it’s a turn-off.

Preparation combined with respectful engagement is a winning combination. Hiring managers see hundreds of candidates, so find the connections and approach that make you stand out authentically.

2. Proactively address concerns

Savvy interviewees will preemptively address concerns or questions. With preparation, you can discover the typical types of concerns for your role or the companies. Armed with this awareness and knowledge allows you to adeptly guide the discussion, highlighting how your background counters these reservations.

For example, if the position requires international experience that you lack, pivot the dialogue to demonstrate how your domestic record fulfills the role’s core demands. You might say, “While I haven’t worked abroad, most of my team has been remote across states. Achieving alignment and engagement without proximity is crucial for leadership today. What are your thoughts on that?”

You might say, “While I haven’t worked abroad, most of my team has been remote across states. Achieving alignment and engagement without proximity is crucial for leadership today. What are your thoughts on that?”

Don’t speculate on hypothetical concerns. Instead, focus only on clearly anticipated reservations, given your precise situation. When you proactively address a potential challenge, it builds immediate trust and credibility by showing that you recognize potential challenges and are confident in your ability to work through them. This assures the hiring manager that you know what the job is looking for, and you fill their needs with your skills and foresight.

Calmly convey confidence that you have all bases covered, then redirect attention to your assets and strengths. Disarming unspoken concerns provides space to highlight your strengths.

3. Direct the conversation

The most effective interview strategy is to guide the discussion toward your qualifications, accomplishments, strengths, and vision. Wait for logical pauses, then pose questions you’re curious about as opposed to passively fielding the interviewer’s queries.

You might ask, “I’d like to walk you through my approach to building high-performance teams, if you’re open to it?”

You might ask, “I’d like to walk you through my approach to building high-performance teams, if you’re open to it?”

Or if the interviewer asks about your experience, redirect by responding, “My background in building partnerships lays a strong foundation for this role. Would it be helpful if I share a couple of standout examples?”

This proactive approach sidesteps theoretical questions and gives you a chance to shine. Illustrate what you have already done, proving you can excel in this position. As you relay stories, periodically connect back to the role’s core competencies, and explicitly make connections between your experience and the current opening. This ties together the thread and cements why you’re an exceptional fit.

Throughout the interview, ask thoughtful and clarifying questions. This approach allows you to ensure you understand a question or particular element of the role or the company. It also demonstrates your active listening skills while continuing to build rapport with the interviewer through intentional and productive conversation.

At the end of the interview, you want to “seal the deal” by returning control and attention to yourself. Shake the interviewer’s hand, thank them for their time, and ask about the next steps. If you really want to stand out and if you feel the interview went well you might ask, “Was this interview better than you thought, what you thought, or less than you thought?”

This unconventional ending frames you as an assertive, engaged candidate ready to make an impact from day one.

Ultimately, the most important quality you can bring to an interview is confidence in yourself that you can back up. Effectively demonstrate to the interviewer that you’re meant to be in that room and that no one else is as capable as you for the role.

Paul Bramson is widely regarded as one of the most impactful and gifted keynote speakers and trainers globally. He consistently delivers compelling talks and training workshops that leave a lasting impression. Paul is recognized as a thought leader in the areas of communication, leadership, and sales. He has over 25 years of experience inspiring all levels of professionals, leaders, and teams. Paul’s ability to captivate and entertain audiences stems from his genuine passion, unique talents, and commitment to being better.