When Is a Yes/No NOT a Yes/No?

It was the second admissions interview I had ever conducted. I'd gotten a how-to packet from my alma mater, but in typical 22-year-old fashion, I hadn't bothered to read it. I'd also skipped the training session that I was held a week earlier--it was up in the suburbs, and I didn't feel like fighting my way out of town on a Saturday afternoon.

My first interview had gone fine--the girl I interviewed was an incessant talker, and she carried the interview without any input from me.

This one, however, was different. Even though we were only a few years apart, she looked like she was 12, and from the outset she was doing her best to disappear into the uncomfortable wooden chair at the coffee shop. I'm sure that to the casual observer we looked like a slightly creepy blind date gone horribly wrong.

"So, do you play any sports?"

"Yes."

"OK...um, what do you play?"

"Volleyball."

"Great--volleyball is a lot of fun. Have you played for a long time?"

"Yes."

"And....do you enjoy it?"

"Yeah, it's ok."

"Um....Are you any good?"

"Well, not really. I guess I'm OK."

"Okaaaay.... well, um...."

Advice
Have you ever watched a post-game interview after a game, and really paid attention to what the interviewer asks? It's rarely even a question--it's typically an observation with a question mark on the end: "So LeBron, you scored a lot of points in the fourth quarter?"

The athlete, knowing how sports interviews go, correctly hears this as "blah blah blah talk about the game" and launches into some practiced response about god, his teammates, his coach, how tough the other team played, how lucky they were to step it up at the close of the game, or some combination of other sports cliches. The point is, though, he doesn't answer a yes/no question with a yes or no--he uses it as an opening to make the points he wants to make.

Nine times out of 10, your interviewer will do far better when asking you questions. But, if you get that one out of 10, you need to be ready to step on your soap box on cue and talk about yourself. This is not the venue to be humble or shy.

A great interview is really a great conversation, and both you and the interviewer need to play your roles well--the interviewer by asking good, open-ended questions, and you by providing well-reasoned, well-thought-out responses that elicit additional questions (we'll talk more about steering an interview at a later date).

Even if it is a yes or no question, the interviewer is expecting more than a yes or no answer. The interviewer is trying (poorly) to engage you on a conversation topic that you can take and run with, which ideally leads into a conversation about that topic.

For instance, the question "do you play sports?" is intended to elicit a "I do--I've been playing volleyball for six years now, and have gone from sitting on the bench to team captain. The challenges that I've faced as captain have really taught me a lot about what it's like to lead a group and be a role model to younger players."

Such a response opens up multiple avenues for you and your interviewer to go down--what you've learned as a leader, how you worked up to the role of captain, etc--all of which will enable you to tell your interviewer specific things about you that make you unique (and a good admissions fit). Just like LeBron, you took your cue to talk about yourself and made the points that you wanted your interviewer to know.

Ways to screw up

• Answering with direct answers that don't provide material for further questions: "yes/no", "sometimes", "maybe", etc. Remember, in our example, the question "do you play sports" is really "if you play sports, can you talk about it for a few minutes?" You need to give your interviewer additional information to work with.
  
• Being passive. Closed-ended questions like these are typically a sign that your interviewer isn't terribly good (it happens). One of you needs to take the lead in the conversation, and when given an opportunity like this, it should be you.
  

Ways to ace it

• Use the question as a starting point to expound on an area of your background. If it's about sports, talk about sports you've played (or, if you're a non-athlete, as a segue into another extracurricular activity you've excelled at). If it's about academics, talk about your academic interest--just remember, like LeBron (or your sports star of choice), you're being given the mic and a chance to tell your interviewer anything. Be ready to exploit the chance you're being given (this is easy if you're got your pitch ready--more on that in an upcoming post)
  
• Ask for clarification. If it's unclear what the interviewer is getting at, and you're nervous about launching off in a wrong direction, answer directly and ask for clarification ("Yes, I'm the captain of our volleyball team, and it's been a huge part of my high school experience. What can I tell you about it?")
• Return the question. It never hurts to get your interviewer talking about his or her background and experiences. Answer the question and return it: "Yes, I made all-state in volleyball the past two years. Did you play sports in high school or college?" Finding like interests and backgrounds will help you build rapport with your interviewer, which will help strengthen your impression.

Chances are that an interviewer with lousy questions isn't going to be something you'll need to worry about, but they do exist. Just remember: If you run into the yes/no type of questions, treat it as it is--an opportunity for you to make the points that you want your interviewer to know. Whatever you do though, don't answer yes/no questions with a yes or no. ----CJ