The golden era for TV detective series was in the 1970’s. Back then, you’d have a tough time turning on the TV during primetime without seeing a detective drama.

But the one job seekers can get the most out of? Columbo.

Columbo was a master interviewer. He could get tons of information from his subjects. And, during job interviews, you can cull a good deal of information about the company and the position by using two of Columbo’s tried-and-true techniques:

Beg forgiveness and feign confusion. Columbo would often infuriate his subjects by acting like a bumbling idiot. He’d pretend to be confused or unable to understand the chain of events or timelines or clues. Of course, he’d apologize for not being as smart as them. Then, his subjects would have to dumb the information down enough for him to understand. This Columbo technique, when used in a job interview, needs to be used with caution. Feigning slight confusion is okay, but looking like a fool is not.

One more thing. Columbo would almost always an interview, then stop at the door and say "one more thing." This question was almost always the most probing of the interview – and it almost always caught his subjects off guard and unprepared. Thus, Columbo was usually able to get a great piece of information. By utilizing this Columbo technique, you also might be able to get some additional information about the position or the company.