Is a 20 minute interview OK? (2023)

How long should interview answers should be?

Interview answers should be 30 seconds to four minutes, depending on the context of the questions. Your response may be short (30 seconds to two minutes) if the question is simple. For example, if the hiring manager asks you to describe your strengths, you might speak for 90 seconds to explain where you're proficient.

Unless an emergency came up and the interviewer explained the situation, it's usually a bad sign if an interview is cut short and doesn't go for the allotted time. Sometimes, initial phone interviews or video interviews are brief, but at minimum, I'd expect them to last for 25-30 minutes.

It will likely feel like you didn't get enough time. However, if you're applying for a full-time position, a 15-minute interview is not the goal. This short time period simply doesn't provide for effectively relaying what you bring to the table. It often doesn't give you the time to ask them a lot of questions either.

Sometimes interviews are short because everyone in the room has all the information they need. And often times, when everyone's on the same page this quickly, it means you did a pretty good job. So if an interviewer seemingly cuts a meeting short with you, don't panic.

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.

Explanation: By highlighting your experience with a particular skill that the position requires, describe in detail what that experience looks like and how you have used it previously. This gives the hiring manager the chance to see some of your work and determine if it fits what they are looking for in a candidate.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. A good interview takes typically 30 minutes… so something less than that, and especially as a final interview is nothing bad. Sometimes interviews can run short because they already have been 'wowed' by you and really just need to have the final interview as it is required.

The Takeaway

If you're lucky, they may just look past whatever snafu happened during the interview—big or small—and give you the job anyway. Of course, this is mainly likely to happen despite a less-than-ideal interview, you have relevant experience and the desired qualifications for the job.

If your interview ended earlier than scheduled, it may signify that the recruiter made an early decision to move on to the next candidate. If the interviewer seemed rushed, apologised for cutting the interview short and proposed to reschedule, they're probably still interested in getting to know you better.

How do you know if I didn't get the job?

If your interview was 30 minutes long, then it was just long enough. Hiring managers will generally schedule about 30 minutes to interview a candidate for most position levels. If you lasted the full 30 minutes, you know that you answered the questions well.

Short interviews with good signs

You can tell a lot in about 30 minutes, even if you need more than that to make a final decision. So short interviews aren't necessarily a bad thing. Then again … sometimes a short interview is simply because we know right away, for any number of reasons, that it's a bad match.

Although it varies depending on industry, most interviews last between 45 minutes and one hour. This should provide sufficient time and flexibility from both sides to get to know one another.

Answer “what is your greatest weakness” by choosing a skill that is not essential to the job you're applying to and by stressing exactly how you're practically addressing your weakness. Some skills that you can use as weaknesses include impatience, multitasking, self-criticism, and procrastination.

Ensure you don't go off on tangents or end abruptly without rounding out your answer back to what was asked. Also, avoid mumbling or speaking too fast. The interviewer shouldn't have to ask you to repeat an answer or strain to hear what you're saying.

When answering, mention what your top strengths are, provide examples on how you've used them in the past, and finally, describe the results you've gotten. Be super specific with your answers. Don't just say “I'm good at X” - really dive deep and give the interviewer a comprehensive answer.

“I believe I possess all the necessary experience and skills you've mentioned you need for this position. I'm positive that I'm one of the best candidates you've interviewed, and I aspire to be the best worker if hired.

How many questions should you ask in a 20 minute interview?

Although this type of interview may only require a few questions, it is still a good idea to prepare at least 6 to 8 questions.

The shortlist for an interview usually includes 10 to 20 candidates, but this can vary depending on the type of position you are hiring for. Companies with more resources may have much larger shortlists because they can afford to spend more time interviewing people in-person.

Schedule one of the best candidates first in the interview process to encourage hiring managers to notice them. If not, the best candidate may just get lost. Last candidates may benefit from recency bias.

“I'm a little nervous.” Acknowledging that your nerves are getting the better of you might actually help you shake off your nervousness. Most interviewers have been there, too, at some point in their career and will understand.

Getting Personal or Too Familiar. Avoid giving sob stories about how much you need the job due to the mountain of debt you've accrued. Also, don't behave in a conceited or over-familiar manner; it never makes a good impression.

The idea of the 15-min phone interview is simple. You're only asking them a few short questions and the key things you're looking for are: Can they stick to the time they've been given? Can they convey their point concisely and explicitly?

Even if you provide excellent responses to every question in an interview, you may not earn a job offer if the hiring manager doesn't feel that you're a good culture fit for the company. Sometimes your personality or professional values simply don't align with the way the organization functions.

What does a hiring manager mean when they say "we will be in touch"? When a hiring manager says "we will be in touch" after an interview, it typically means that they intend to contact you when they have made their official hiring decision.

If you've received no response after a job interview (and you didn't hear back even after you followed up on your job application), it's safe to assume that you didn't get the position and should keep interviewing with other companies.

What are the chances of getting a job if you have an interview?

While a hiring manager will consider your entire job application, the interview is a crucial last step. Avoid making these 4 interview mistakes, which can derail even the most promising job applicant.

This may be they just don't have 'enough' skills, knowledge of experience for the role in question. Or it could be that they don't have the 'right' skills, knowledge and experience for that job. The lesson here is for applicants to do their research on the role and develop their skills and knowledge if necessary.

Interview answers should be 30 seconds to four minutes, depending on the context of the questions. Your response may be short (30 seconds to two minutes) if the question is simple. For example, if the hiring manager asks you to describe your strengths, you might speak for 90 seconds to explain where you're proficient.

According to the latest data, a whopping 98% of people fail interviews. An average job posting gets about 250 applications, and most employers usually interview no more than ten candidates or 2–3%. Of course, there are plenty of reasons for failing an interview.

It's OK to ask an interviewer how many other people are up for the same position. After all, you just want to know the odds you're up against, as anyone would. But even if inquiring is harmless, the way you ask your question might bother the interviewer.

What length is the right length for interview answers? The right length for interview answers is 30 seconds to 2 minutes for basic questions, and up to 3 or 3.5 minutes for behavioral questions. The answers to simple factual questions should be the shortest.

How long should the Tell me about yourself answer be?

Keep it focused and short, ideally less than a minute, and no more than 2 minutes. You won't be able to fit all of your great qualities and resume high points into 2 minutes, so you'll have to spend some time thinking about how to present yourself in a way that starts the interview on the right note.

How not to answer: Anything too personal. Don't bring up anything that is not related to the job or company. The interviewer doesn't care if your commute is good, if you like formal dress codes, or if chocolate is your favorite flavor. However, you can mention those things in the context of company culture.

A simple formula for answering “Tell me about yourself”

Present: Talk a little bit about what your current role is, the scope of it, and perhaps a big recent accomplishment. Past: Tell the interviewer how you got there and/or mention previous experience that's relevant to the job and company you're applying for.

Your answer to the "tell me about yourself" question should describe your current situation, your past job experience, the reason you're a good fit for the role, and how you align with the company values. Tell the interviewer about your current position and a recent big accomplishment or positive feedback you received.