Request from a friend and a recruiter “pet peeve” blog this week. The topic...the problem with saying “I’ll do anything” in the interview. As recruiters we hear it all the time when we ask candidates what they want to do...and honestly, nothing can be more frustrating to hear during the interview.
The issue really is that when you are interviewing for a job, not only is the company trying to evaluate you...but you’re trying to evaluate THEM too. Saying you’ll “do anything” sounds great in theory but in reality it confuses the situation and makes evaluating the fit for a job almost impossible. Here are two quick points to really show what I mean:
1) For you - Like I said above, the interview is as much your opportunity to evaluate the company is it is their chance to evaluate you. So, saying you’ll do anything doesn’t really allow you to ask the right questions to evaluate the job. A better thing to do is to say EXACTLY what you like to do and then make sure the role matches your interests. Being upfront and expressing your interests allows you to openly and honestly see if the role is a fit for you. Being “open” seems like a good idea in theory, but really does you a disservice.
2) For the company - For the company it’s a little different...basically, things can go two different ways. The first way...they think you don’t know what you’re looking for and reject you. The second way...they think you’re a GREAT fit for a role, make you an offer...and then you realize you don’t like the role. Basically, it’s a lose lose....
So, next time you’re in an interview avoid saying you’ll do anything and be upfront and honest with the interviewer. It might seem like a great answer but honestly you’ll be much happier in the long run explaining your interests and find a job that makes you happy.
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