Charlie Trumpess, a marketing communications copywriter, takes a lighthearted look at how to best approach that age-old dread, the job interview.
Job interviews, let’s face it, are about as entertaining as a hot wax with no anesthesia. After all, striving to demonstrate your abilities in front of a group of strangers, frequently under duress and on someone else’s property, is not a natural act. Nonetheless, if you truly want the job, you must overcome the interview challenge.
Charlie Trumpess, a marketing communications copywriter, takes a lighthearted look at how to best approach that age-old dread, the job interview.
Job interviews, let’s face it, are about as entertaining as a hot wax with no anesthesia. After all, striving to demonstrate your abilities in front of a group of strangers, frequently under duress and on someone else’s property, is not a natural act. Nonetheless, if you truly want the job, you must overcome the interview challenge. The three Ps of giving a good interview are preparation, presentation, and a positive mindset. Because all interviews are essentially the same, let’s start at the beginning with the introductions.
The interview introduction might be a tricky customer who gets away from you easily. You’re on your own once you enter that cave of horrors known as the interview room, never knowing if you’re saying or doing the proper thing. You appear to be more nervous the harder you try to relax. One of Hercules’ labors appears to be piecing together a cohesive sentence.
Naturally, the room is excessively hot, and your mouth is particularly dry, causing your tongue to enlarge and cut off oxygen to your brain. Panic overtakes you. Finally, just as you’re about to scream and flee for the nearest fire escape, the lovely interviewer offers a welcoming hand and welcomes you. So, what are you going to do now?
Don’t be concerned. Introductions don’t have to be humiliating, upsetting, or tear-jerking. Introductions can be simple and enjoyable. All you have to do now is approach things calmly and logically. Take a moment to think about it. You’re meeting someone for the first time; it’s a blank slate, a chance for you to write your ticket without prejudice or prejudices.
All you have to do is show up on time, dress professionally, check your teeth for leftovers from your previous meal, be yourself, and use industrial-strength deodorant. What could be more straightforward? Before going to any interviews, you may always practice introducing yourself in front of the bathroom mirror to gain confidence. You might prefer to do this in the privacy of your own house rather than in the pizza washroom, where introducing oneself to other customers might be frowned upon.
After you’ve gotten through the interview introductions, the next significant obstacle is dealing with a request for refreshments. Even something as seemingly innocuous as a cup of tea or coffee might derail an interview. It’s best to avoid juggling hot liquids in flimsy plastic cups while trying to persuade a stranger of your marketing expertise or business acumen. Accepting or denying refreshments is a judgment call because you don’t want to appear ill, but keep in mind that the stakes are high.
Slurping or gulping loudly will not impress the interviewer, and spilling hot chocolate down the front of your cream and oatmeal business suit is a gaffe that few candidates can recover from. So, if worry and tension have rendered your mouth as parched as Death Valley on the hottest day of the year, simply request a glass of water. It’s most likely your safest bet.
The initial few minutes of any given interview, according to several famous psychologists who research such topics, are critical in deciding the outcome. It appears that initial impressions matter. Now that the preliminary rounds are finished, it’s time to focus on the big event. You’ll either be beaming with confidence or anxious for the restroom, a cigarette, and a family-sized candy bar by this point in the game. Whatever occurs, keep your attention on the task at hand. You only have 105 seconds to make a good first impression. The key is to remain calm. DON’T FREAK OUT!
Nothing can go wrong if you’re fully prepared. You should be able to ask the right questions, say the right things at the right time. Anticipate the questions the interviewer will ask and be prepared to answer them. But remember to take a breather before responding. It appears to be more natural. You won’t go far wrong if you keep your delivery clear, consistent, positive, brief, and uncomplicated. Also, avoid becoming sidetracked or going off on a tangent.
Take it on faith that having your freshly manicured, highly polished fingernails yanked out with rusted tweezers is significantly worse than your usual job interview. Interviewers aren’t the monsters they appear to be at first glance. They’re just regular people trying to do their best. Both you and your new company will bear the penalties if the interviewer makes a poor judgment. The best thing you can probably do is put your faith in the interviewer’s knowledge while inspecting the chair for chains and thumbscrews. Even after all of this agony, even after saying and doing everything correctly, you might not obtain the job.
Life can be unpredictable at times. In this situation, seek favorable feedback on your interview strategy and move on.
Typically, just as you begin to relax and feel like you’re developing a relationship with your interviewer, the whole ordeal will abruptly cease. And it is here, at the conclusion of the interview, that you are confronted with your greatest difficulty. It’s tempting to let your guard down and stray from your original interview plan as your confidence grows. Refrain from acting on this impulse. You must overcome the impulse to say something humorous or brilliant, which is formally called “end-of-interview euphoria.” Your humor and brilliance are likely to be misinterpreted as glibness or even rudeness in the intoxicatingly thin air of your newly acquired confidence. Take it from someone who has been through it: If you’re not asked a straight question, fight your urges and keep your mouth shut.
Although it may not be the grand ending you envisioned or practiced, it is far safer to end the interview with a thank you, a smile, and a gentle reminder of your contact information. Make sure everything spillable is out of the way before you rise to go, especially if you’re one of those daredevil types that consume liquid beverages recklessly.
All that’s left for you to do now is get out of there. It is not advisable to run at this critical stage of the procedures. Hazards abound, and tripping over the trash can, knocking over the coffee table, or tearing the phone line from its wall socket will almost always work against you. It’s best to leave your potential new employer’s office premises, fixtures, and fittings in the same condition as you found them. If you follow the guidelines, you’ll be able to walk away with a new job. Congratulations. Tomorrow, on the other hand, is a new day and a new interview.