WHY TALKING TOO MUCH IN INTERVIEWS IS COSTING YOU THE JOB
There’s a very common interview mistake that candidates rarely recognise in themselves:
They talk. And talk. And talk.
They circle the point. They over-explain. They answer a simple question with a five-minute monologue. And quietly, almost invisibly, they talk themselves out of the role.
In recruitment, we hear this feedback every day. They waffled. They talked too much. They couldn’t get to the point. They couldn’t give a clear example.
And the frustrating part? These are often strong candidates, with solid experience, who are absolutely capable of doing the role. But because they can’t communicate that clearly in the moment, they miss out on opportunities they should have secured.
The problem isn’t what you think
Most candidates who do this aren’t underprepared. In fact, it’s often the opposite. They’re trying to:
All good intentions. But in an interview setting, clarity beats volume every time.
Hiring managers are not scoring you on how much you say. They’re assessing how clearly and confidently you can land a point.
If they have to work to figure out what you’re saying, you’re already losing ground.
Why it pushes interviewers away
Interviews aren’t just about capability. They’re about what it will feel like to work with you.
When a candidate talks excessively, something shifts. It stops feeling like a conversation and starts feeling like a monologue. And that creates friction. The interviewer has to:
Over time, that becomes mentally draining. And people naturally move away from what feels like hard work. They won’t say, “this person talks too much.”
They’ll think:
That’s the moment where strong candidates start to lose ground—without realising it.
What it signals (even if it’s unintentional)
When you don’t get to the point, interviewers start filling in the gaps themselves:
None of this is said out loud—but it’s absolutely being assessed.
Particularly in the social impact sector, where roles often require:
Being concise isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s core to the job.
What to do instead
This is fixable—but it requires discipline.
1. Lead with the answer
Start with your conclusion, not your backstory. Instead of: “Yeah so in my previous role, I was working across a few different programs…”
Say: “I led a program that increased community engagement by 40%.”
Then add context if needed.
2. Use the STAR method (and stick to it)
When attending an interview that use situational or behavioural based questions (hint, these will often start with “give me an example of” or “tell me about a time when” etc), most interviewers expect answers structured using the STAR method:
The key is discipline—not equal airtime for each part. Keep Situation and Task tight. Focus on Action and Result.
If you find yourself talking too much, it’s usually because you’re overloading the Situation and Task instead of getting to the point.
3. Aim for 60–90 seconds per answer
Long enough to show substance. Short enough to keep attention. If they want more detail, they’ll ask.
4. Cut the verbal padding
Watch for phrases like:
These are usually signs you’re about to over-explain. Remove them, and your answers immediately become sharper.
5. Practise saying less, not more
Most candidates rehearse by adding detail. Instead, practise tightening:
What’s left is usually your strongest version.
A final thought
Interviews aren’t a test of everything you’ve ever done. They’re a test of how effectively you can communicate what matters.
The candidates who get offers aren’t always the most experienced. They’re the ones who make it easy for the interviewer to think: “Yes. This is someone I want to work with.”
And that starts with getting to the point.
They talk. And talk. And talk.
They circle the point. They over-explain. They answer a simple question with a five-minute monologue. And quietly, almost invisibly, they talk themselves out of the role.
In recruitment, we hear this feedback every day. They waffled. They talked too much. They couldn’t get to the point. They couldn’t give a clear example.
And the frustrating part? These are often strong candidates, with solid experience, who are absolutely capable of doing the role. But because they can’t communicate that clearly in the moment, they miss out on opportunities they should have secured.
The problem isn’t what you think
Most candidates who do this aren’t underprepared. In fact, it’s often the opposite. They’re trying to:
- Show depth of experience
- Prove they’re thoughtful
- Avoid being misunderstood
- Demonstrate enthusiasm
All good intentions. But in an interview setting, clarity beats volume every time.
Hiring managers are not scoring you on how much you say. They’re assessing how clearly and confidently you can land a point.
If they have to work to figure out what you’re saying, you’re already losing ground.
Why it pushes interviewers away
Interviews aren’t just about capability. They’re about what it will feel like to work with you.
When a candidate talks excessively, something shifts. It stops feeling like a conversation and starts feeling like a monologue. And that creates friction. The interviewer has to:
- Interrupt to move things along
- Work harder to extract the key message
- Stay engaged through unnecessary detail
Over time, that becomes mentally draining. And people naturally move away from what feels like hard work. They won’t say, “this person talks too much.”
They’ll think:
- “This is harder than it should be.”
- “I’m not sure they’ll be easy to work with.”
- “Meetings with them might take twice as long.”
That’s the moment where strong candidates start to lose ground—without realising it.
What it signals (even if it’s unintentional)
When you don’t get to the point, interviewers start filling in the gaps themselves:
- Can this person communicate clearly with stakeholders?
- Do they understand what actually matters?
- Can they influence, or will they overwhelm?
- Do they read the room?
None of this is said out loud—but it’s absolutely being assessed.
Particularly in the social impact sector, where roles often require:
- Stakeholder engagement
- Clear communication
- Advocacy and influence
Being concise isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s core to the job.
What to do instead
This is fixable—but it requires discipline.
1. Lead with the answer
Start with your conclusion, not your backstory. Instead of: “Yeah so in my previous role, I was working across a few different programs…”
Say: “I led a program that increased community engagement by 40%.”
Then add context if needed.
2. Use the STAR method (and stick to it)
When attending an interview that use situational or behavioural based questions (hint, these will often start with “give me an example of” or “tell me about a time when” etc), most interviewers expect answers structured using the STAR method:
- Situation – brief context
- Task – what you were responsible for
- Action – what you did
- Result – what happened
The key is discipline—not equal airtime for each part. Keep Situation and Task tight. Focus on Action and Result.
If you find yourself talking too much, it’s usually because you’re overloading the Situation and Task instead of getting to the point.
3. Aim for 60–90 seconds per answer
Long enough to show substance. Short enough to keep attention. If they want more detail, they’ll ask.
4. Cut the verbal padding
Watch for phrases like:
- “Just to give you some context…”
- “I guess what I would say is…”
- “It’s probably worth mentioning…”
These are usually signs you’re about to over-explain. Remove them, and your answers immediately become sharper.
5. Practise saying less, not more
Most candidates rehearse by adding detail. Instead, practise tightening:
- Record your answers
- Cut them in half
- Then cut them again
What’s left is usually your strongest version.
A final thought
Interviews aren’t a test of everything you’ve ever done. They’re a test of how effectively you can communicate what matters.
The candidates who get offers aren’t always the most experienced. They’re the ones who make it easy for the interviewer to think: “Yes. This is someone I want to work with.”
And that starts with getting to the point.
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