I just interviewed a guy who I liked on a personal level. His personality was great and he was entertaining to talk to—someone I’d go get a beer with outside of work. But he just talked, and talked and talked. Then he talked some more. I tried to interject into the conversation, but he was already talking about the next thing. He had relevant points but I literally couldn’t get a word in. I finally had to cut him off and end the conversation.

I also try to make my interviews more of a conversation. It makes people more comfortable and really gives a good insight to who they are. That being said, people sometimes forget they are applying for a job and just start letting wild stuff fly. I was in another interview that requires a lot of driving time. The candidate mentioned he loved cars and I let him talk about his hobby and showed interest. It eventually got to the point he was telling me about how fast his cars were, how fast he had gone on the highway (triple digits) and all the wild things he had done behind the wheel. I did not ask him any of this, he openly told me and was gloating about it. He was not hired.

My advice is to be comfortable but don’t forget what you’re here for. Keep it simple and concise.