Interview Tip - Confidence Vs. Arrogance - Strike The Right Balance

When interviewing with the Big 4, candidates are often tempted to project an extreme level of confidence. Rather than showing that they are somewhat nervous, they stride into the room, give the interviewer a bone-crushing handshake and then proceed to put on a show to demonstrate their superiority. While some level of confidence is required, it is far too easy to take it too far. By putting yourself in the shoes of the interviewer/recruiter, you can easily appreciate the proper level of confidence you should display.

OK, pretend you are an interviewer. You're in the career center on a college campus and you are interviewing 10 candidates that day. The first two were very strong. They had great resumes and presented themselves well. They didn't come on too strong but were able to easily engage in conversation and talk candidly about themselves. Now it is time for the third interviewer. The door opens and a young man walks in dressed in an overtly expensive looking suit that obviously has never been worn. He walks quickly to your desk and before you can even stand up is pumping your hand and showing no signs of stopping.

He finally sits down on the edge of the chair, leaning forward and staring at you with unblinking eyes. You open the interview by asking the candidate to tell you a little something about himself. Before the words even leave your mouth he has already told you about his 3.8 GPA, Beta Alpha Psi presidency and complete and utter passion for accounting. He talks loudly, with no consideration for the flow of the conversation. For every question you ask, he comes up with a different way to say "I am perfect - let's cut the formalities and sign the offer letter."

In his mind, he is projecting confidence and intensity, something he believes the Big 4 want. It is true that confidence is important. However, when this confidence turns into arrogance, this is a major warning signal from the Big 4. The recruiter is constantly thinking during the interview, "if I was a client of our firm, would I be able to work with this guy/girl." Confidence is important in client interactions in order to get your point across. However, there are many situations in which the behavior I recently described could be interpreted as inconsiderate and even rude. For example, if you're walking into a client's office to tell him you found a huge mistake in his work, you're going to want to show a little more poise or it will appear that you are gloating.

You may be thinking, "sure, in that situation I would tone it down a little, but in the interview I want to stand out as confident and strong." This is the reason why Big 4 interviews are so difficult. It is not just about what is happening on the surface. With so many candidates competing for the same positions, the Big 4 recruiters have become adept at reading between the lines. As I've said many times, it is crucial to know how and when you are being judged.

The proper way to present yourself in an interview is to be both confident and humble. You may be the big man on campus, but in the world of the Big 4 you are competing with thousands of other students to become a small fish in a gigantic pond. Your resume be impressive, your experience may be phenomenal, but when it comes to working with the Big 4 you have zero experience. The key is to present yourself as someone with the ability to learn. For you working for the Big 4 is as much about learning as it is getting paid. You know you don't know everything and you are not afraid to be honest about this. Sacrificing a shred of confidence for a pile of honesty will pay off every time.

For more secrets on getting hired with the Big 4, please visit: http://www.big4guru.com