Yes siree, you did read that right. You, as the candidate, have the right to walk out of a job interview.
Oh my gosh, (Some of you are thinking) that seems so RUDE, so WRONG!
I'm not saying that you abruptly stand up and walk out of the interviewer's office without any explanation. What I am saying is that if the position doesn't meet what you're looking for, and you know—beyond a shadow of a doubt—that you wouldn't take the job even IF it was offered to you, then you can politely tell the interviewer this: "It doesn't sound like I would be a good fit for what you're looking for in this position. I'm sure that you have other work that you'd like to get back to, so I'd be fine ending the interview now. Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate the opportunity to meet you and the team."
They will be stunned because a very, very small percentage of people do this. They may even try to convince you that you would be the right person (because you always want what you can't have). In their eyes you will look like a confident, polished professional, and everyone wants one of those working for them. However, you should stick to your guns and let them escort you to the door. Here's a few questions I know are running through your mind:
Why can't I use this tactic on jobs that I really want as a negotiation tactic?
Because it sets up a weird dynamic between you and the hiring manager. Let's lay it out: They got your resume and thought you'd be a fit, then did a phone screen and you passed that criteria. When you come in for an in-person interview and they describe the position to you and you meet a few of the people, you announce to them that you don't think you'd be a good fit for the job (but you really think you are). They are impressed by this tactic and their reflex action is to immediately go into selling you on the position. You reluctantly acquiesce and agree to continue the interview process. They decide to make you an offer, and you accept. The problem is that at some point the concept of buyer's remorse is going to come into play. Buyer's remorse is what you get after you make a purchase (typically of a high-ticket or impulse item, but it can happen on well-researched average purchases too). After they make you the offer, they'll think back to your reluctance to even continue the job interview. It was such an odd move that it will definitely stick out in their mind. When you start, they'll wonder what you know about your abilities that doesn't make you a fit, and why they didn't pick up on it. It stands a strong chance of putting you under more pressure to succeed than you normally would be if you didn't mock-walk out. I'm not saying that it's guaranteed to fail, but that it would be an incredibly risky move.
You can, and hope that it will get better or that there is another open position at the company. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you ever find yourself in a completely dead-end interview—because you're not qualified for or interested in the job, or if your new boss is definitely someone you wouldn't be able to work for, why waste your time and theirs? As long as you are polite, you can take control of the situation and leave.
Why don't they just tell me to leave?
Because companies aren't used to doing that either. They are hoping that there's something in your background that will still make you viable—you hold all the secrets to your experiences. They don't know that you are definitely not qualified—only YOU know that. When I was a hiring manager I spent more time with some candidates than others. If I didn't think they'd be a good fit with me, either personally or experience-wise, I'd only talk to them for about ½ hour, and not introduce them to my boss or colleagues. I would try to dig as deeply as I could into who they are and what they had done, but if I didn't hear what I was looking for, then I politely walked them out. If they asked, I would have told them that I had some concerns about this not being a good fit for them—and then stress the fact that as much as I'm sure they'd like a new job, if it's a bad fit it'll end up being a nightmare for everyone in a few months.
So keep this in mind the next time you interview. You have power, you have control. You're not at the mercy of the hiring manager to find a reason why you're a good candidate for their job. If it won't work, and you know it won't work, then follow the script above and move onto the next opportunity.
