Jane Genova
Jane Genova

Applicants for jobs have an 8.3 percent chance of making it to the interview stage. Put in concrete numbers: Out of 250 applicants, only 4 to 6 will be interviewed. In general, it takes 10 to 20 interviews to land an actual offer.

Uncertain job market, tougher for youth and the aging

Overall, what’s projected by Zippia is that the employment situation in public relations will be 8 percent annual growth, with 22,300 jobs created. Vault indicates the competition for those jobs will be intense.

That growth, though, might not materialize. There could be ongoing consolidations. Those trigger redundancies—therefore RIFs. For example, Axios reports, the proposed merger of the Omnicom Group and the Interpublic Group is expected to lead to more acquisitions by the new entity.

Also, beginning this year, LinkedIn says, businesses are determined to test out the real world ROI of generative AI applications. Although a WE Communications survey found that the majority of public relations employees are positive about AI, the impacts of the technology on labor remain unknown.

In addition, professional anonymous networks such as Reddit Public Relations post the sagas of Gen Zers not able to get entry-level jobs, even after years of trying. The 2023 Edelman layoff signaled the employment vulnerability of aging pros.

That one shot

Obviously, it’s more important than ever to get the edge in job interviews. As Eminem crooned: You only have one shot. You have to differentiate yourself from the other applicants.

Overselling as powerhouse tool

One powerhouse tool for standing out can be what’s called “overselling.” This applies perfectly to job interviews because those are really sales calls.

The dirty little secret in many professional services is that overselling is used frequently. Applied skillfully, it can accelerate the move to the close. The public relations principals, management consultants and law firm partners land the account and walk around all-high-fives.

Overselling as Turnoff

However, myriad career experts rail against overselling. That’s why, after researching pointers on best practices in interviewing, you might have backed off from overselling strategies and caved to the traditional ways those hiring conduct the process. If you do that, the odds are that you won’t stand out.

Most of the bad reputation for overselling in sales comes from when it had been done ham-handedly. For instance, in traditional sales one form is presenting more information than wanted. Or adding on more of whatever, such as discounts. Done ineptly, prospects become impatient and wary. Another form of overselling is upselling. The salesperson pushes a more expensive product or service. That can turn off prospects. No sale is made.

Types of interview overselling and risks

If you’re alert to what goes on in the interview process and identify the points at which you can gain control, you can become skilled in overselling. In job interviews, the typical type of overselling is flipping the script.

Here’s an example. The interviewers want a briefing about the logistics of the social media campaigns you operated. You also add that you had developed new business for another unit of the firm—executive communications. And how. Your agenda is to present yourself not only as a marketing communications pro but also a rainmaker who can bring in accounts.

Of course, that’s a risk. There could be fear that you’re the type who’ll “try to take over the place” or step on some internal toes. In addition, with such an aggressive pitch you could come across as insecure and desperate.

On the other hand, you could get the job.

Another type of overselling in interviews, as LinkedIn puts it, is “embellishing” credentials in a way that makes those hiring assume they have the perfect hire. You might even make promises. Yes, they make an offer. The risk is that the newly hired you becomes overwhelmed because of a lack of knowledge and skills. You flounder. Almost 50 percent of new hires fail within the first 18 months.

Four tactics for reducing the risks

However, there are proven ways to reduce the risks. Here are four of them:

Identifying pain points

One is the classic in sales: Asking questions and doing deep listening to identify pain points. This wasn’t the expected scripting. But, you have their attention. They’re engaged with you. They don’t notice you’ve taken control of the interview. Then you detail how you’re the perfect solution.

Embracing realities of jobs in 2025

Secondly, you get your head around the realities of so-called “embellishment.” Since it’s standard, as Resume Lab found, not doing it can put you at a disadvantage. As for taking on tasks which you haven’t performed before, that has become the new usual in jobs.

Actually, during these times of turbulence and urgency, implicit in interviews are the expectations the professional hired will manage myriad moving parts. Any hesitation by the applicants to leap into the optimistic force field could derail the whole process. Therefore, it could be smart to get in sync and scramble to provide validation of being able to take on whatever. In the golden days of corporate, that would be known as accepting a stretch assignment. Businesses like GE, known for professional development, systemized providing those.

Factor in also that throughout sectors new hires too often are doing the job without onboarding and training. Business Insider notes that the majority of employers demand new hires “hit the ground running” without traditional forms of training.

You’re expected to figure out just-in-time how to do the job as it is. Asking colleagues or superiors for guidance typically isn’t welcome. That’s what you sold yourself as capable of handling.

But the situation of the impossible getting done has always existed and those going for it were the ambitious intent on a major career homerun. Communications and marketing pros at near-bankrupt Chrysler in the late 1970s convinced CEO Lee Iacocca they could create the promotions which would turn around the company. And that they did. They became golden—and rich.

Playing out the magic of mirroring

Third is the sales fundamental of mirroring. That is, you’re in tune with every aspect of the process, including how the interviewers speak, their pacing, facial expressions and body language. That’ll lock you into the gestalt. Any overselling automatically will mesh with what’s a fit with that culture. In a high-vibration setting, you might even be able to upsell: Presenting yourself for the position two levels up from the one you initially applied for.

Detaching

And, fourth, establish a position of strength by approaching the interview as primarily a learning experience. That extends from what that culture is about to the nuances of overselling. You’re there to try out approaches. You’re relaxed. Given your self-confidence any interactional overreach will probably not get much notice.

Detaching is possible, even when unemployed in public relations, as long as you’re working, in anything. There’s the old adage: Nothing gets you a job like a job.

Practice practice practice

The more interviews you handle the more control you’ll have over yourself and the process. There’s a school of thought which advises you grab any interview available to get practice. Then you’ll take an audit of what seemed to move the dial and what kept it stuck.

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Career Coach Jane Genova provides end-to-end services, ranging from diagnosis of challenges and fix-it strategies to preparation of resumes/cover letters/LinkedIn profiles and how to gain control of an interview. She specializes in over-50 work issues. Her edge is a background in marketing communications and sales training. For a confidential complimentary consultation please text/phone 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com. Remote and in-person.