Interview's a dud: What to do?

Uh-oh. You've been in this interview 10 minutes already and you have the feeling that it's not going well.
It's not you. You're dressed to kill and your r & eacute;sum & eacute; positively sparkles. But the interviewer keeps calling you the wrong name, and he doesn't seem to know much about the job you're seeking. Worse, he has taken two calls on his cell phone and hasn't even apologized for the interruptions.
Should you leave? Suggest rescheduling? Stick it out?
With one crucial exception, the answer to all three options is always: "It depends." It depends on how much you need the job and how important this interviewer is to the overall hiring process.
What's the exception? If the awful interviewer is actually going to be your boss, lean toward the exit door. Why would you want to extend the frustration of these 10 minutes into a daily experience?
Have compassion
For most of these awkward interview situations, I like to suggest a kind of practical compassion. This approach comes from my own experiences being interviewed for jobs and is based on the following premises:
UThe interviewer wants (needs) to hire the right person.
UAlthough the interviewer is handling this meeting poorly, I can and will provide the information he or she needs to hire me.
UI have worked successfully with people like this in previous jobs. I will use those strategies in this meeting.
I also follow two basic rules of job search: "People hire people they like" and "The job seeker's goal in an interview is to get to the next stage."
These two job search rules are crucial in a dud interview because there is a very good chance the interviewer is not focused enough to adequately discuss your qualifications. Don't worry. If you weren't qualified, you wouldn't have gotten in the door. Your task now is to connect with this interviewer on a personal level, while figuring out the next steps in this company's hiring process.
Based on respect
In this case, "connecting on a personal level" doesn't mean swapping photos of your kids. It means treating this person like someone who has at least a few good qualities that you can admire. Assume this person is worthy of your respect, even if it's only because he or she has authority in this process.
Although every situation will be different, here are a few sample gambits to remember when you find yourself in one of these awkward interviews:
With a laugh: "That's the third time you've called me John. My name is Bob, but I could get used to John. Let me just peek at the r & eacute;sum & eacute; you've got there to be sure it's mine. I'm pretty proud of my 10 years in this field and I wouldn't want to give someone else credit for them."
"You don't have my r & eacute;sum & eacute;? That's OK. I've got an extra one here. If you don't mind, I'd like to tell you the highlights and why I think I'm a good candidate for this job."
"You've been getting a lot of calls this morning. I can tell you've got a lot on your plate. I may be pushing us forward too quickly, but I know from my research that I have good skills to contribute here. Would you like to schedule a meeting later in the week that brings us to the next level? If you agree that I'm a good fit for the company, I'd like to start helping out as soon as I can."
As you can see, these conversational tactics are mostly about diplomacy.
The goal
Your goal is to keep the conversation focused on the purpose of the meeting while protecting the dignity of both parties. At no point do you want to show impatience or belittle the other person. You may have justification and you may feel superior if you do this, but I can almost guarantee that you will still be unemployed at the end of the day.
As important as diplomacy is, it won't always do the trick. If the interviewer isn't paying attention to you, doesn't write anything down, can't wait to end the meeting, you may be in more trouble than a pack of diplomats could resolve. If you still want the job, you'll have to get around this person by securing a meeting with someone else in the company.
On the other hand, some interviews are duds because they spring from a poor process. The interviewer may be fully prepared and attentive while asking all the wrong questions.
XAmy Lindgren, the owner of a career-consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn., can be reached at alindgren@pioneerpress.com.