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Watched a coworker tank a job interview by oversharing personal stuff last week

I was sitting in on interviews for a junior role at our office in Austin on Thursday. One guy came in strong, decent answers, good portfolio. Then the interviewer asked where he saw himself in five years and he launched into this whole story about his divorce and how he needed a fresh start. You could feel the energy in the room drop. He didn't get the job. I asked my boss about it after and she said red flags go up when people overshare during interviews. Has anyone else seen something similar happen? How do you draw that line without coming off cold?
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amy_foster79
Oh man, that's rough. I've definitely seen that kind of thing happen too and it's always so uncomfortable for everyone in the room. It's like once you open that door about personal stuff in an interview it's really hard to close it again without seeming cold, you know. I think for me the line is if it's something you wouldn't tell a stranger at a bus stop then probably don't share it in an interview either.
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lisaf38
lisaf381mo ago
My friend saw a guy cry about his cat dying during a sales interview once.
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