How Man Loses Job Opportunity for Overusing “We” in Interview

A Nigerian man has revealed his experience of losing a job opportunity due to his excessive use of the word “we” during an interview.

In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) page, he recounted how he believed using “we” would highlight his ability to work in a team.

However, it had the opposite effect, as the hiring panel was more interested in assessing his individual skills and leadership capabilities.

He wrote:  

“I once failed an interview because I used ‘we’ a lot. I thought it projected me as a team player, but instead, the hiring team struggled to identify my specific skills, contributions, and impact.”

“Be comfortable with saying ‘I’ and focusing solely on what you accomplished.”

He further explained how the STAR method, used in behavioral interviews, allows the use of “we” in certain parts but emphasizes “I” in others:

“In the STAR method, ‘we’ can work in the Situation and Result. But in the Task and, especially, the Action, you want to use ‘I’.”

He provided an example:  

– Situation (S): We were building a new team with some conflict.

– Task (T): I had to resolve the conflict.

– Action (A): I called for mediation.

– Result (R): We became a more cohesive team.

He also cautioned candidates to be mindful of interviewers who press for personal contributions:

“If your interviewer follows up with ‘So, more concretely, what were YOUR actions?’ you’re on thin ice. You need to switch up fast, or it’s likely a fail. The nice ones give you this window multiple times.”

As the post gained traction online, many individuals with similar experiences flooded the comment section to share their thoughts.