As the one in the hot seat, it can be easy to forget that in an interview, you may not be the only person who is under pressure in the room. The interviewer is often anxious about finding the right candidate and may be feeling the heat from higher-ups in the company to do so quickly.
Not every interviewer has the ability to connect and establish the flow of a conversation. If your interview ends up sounding more like a sales pitch for the company than an opportunity to learn about your qualifications, it’s a sure sign you are dealing with an ineffective interviewer.
If you aren’t lucky enough to find yourself interviewing with someone skilled in asking appropriate questions with follow-up to clarify and expand upon answers, then the onus is on you to turn it around. Be politely assertive and communicate key points about your accomplishments and experience before you leave the room. Perhaps the only opening you will get will be at the conclusion of the interview, when you are asked if you have any questions. That’s okay – use the opportunity to explain why you are a good fit for the position. It may not be a good interview, but you will at least have given the interviewer the information he/she really needs to make a decision.