HOW CRITICAL IS AN INTERVIEW?
I asked my Linkedin connections to send me life and business questions. I wanted to improve my writing and only write about things that my network would find interesting. I do not have all the answers, I am trying to shine a light on them from my perspective and background. This is a starting point for a good discussion. Please join the conversation and contribute your thoughts and knowledge in the comments. Be respectful and curious, who knows what a simple question can lead to - for you and your business.
So far, this experiment has been fun, eye-opening and humbling for me. Having such passionate and wonderful human beings in my circle makes me jump out of bed every day. Thank you to everyone!
Gonzalo Farias asks
HOW CRITICAL IS AN INTERVIEW?
He added, “At interviews the person being interviewed is nervous and afraid of making a mistake. What if the interviewed person says something wrong due to being nervous and the interviewer rejects this person? They never tested the performance of this person - what if he or she could've end up being a asset to the organization?”
Most people have never hired someone.
They have no idea that the person who recruits is even more nervous than the interviewee.
Why?
Hiring the wrong person can not only be a huge financial risk, in the worst case it can take a team or whole company down. If you don't get the job, you haven't lost anything, you gained valuable interview experience. If you get the job and they made a bad decision (for whatever reason), there is now a whole list of to-do's on their desk that are not fun. They might have to talk to lawyers, have tough conversations with you, fill in a lot of paperwork and still haven't got the work done they hired you for. Depending on how bad things go, you can add counseling for other team members, fees for recruitment agencies and so on... I have seen a lot of my 1:1 coaching clients struggle with hiring, right down to the point of going out of business.
Why?
Hiring people based on a piece of paper, a reference check and an interview is like marrying someone after 2 dates.
Why?
People can prepare for the interview, practice every possible question and have the best answers ready. They might look incredible on their CV and in the interview - still, they might not fit into the role or the company.
If a company rejects you just because you are nervous in the interview, they are not a company you want to work for. (Unless your future job requires nerves of steel, haha)
A good company understands the tension and anxiety that such a situation can bring and will make you feel comfortable and relaxed. A good HR department will do everything to understand you and your skills before they invite you. A good interviewer will let you share things and ask you for more detail if they are not sure about you.
So what can you do when you feel nervous before an interview?
First,
remind yourself of the points above, that they are likely more nervous than you to make a mistake.
Second,
prepare well. Google some typical job interview questions and record yourself answering them. You can learn a lot about your way of talking and your body posture when you look at the video afterwards. Write down all the things you already have learned, achieved and accomplished. Read that list several times, this will help your confidence. Dress well - if you feel good in your clothes, it will help your brain relax too. Get a friend to practice interviewing with you. Try to learn as much as you can about the company. Learn where your skills and strengths would be good for them. An interview is for both sides, you interview them as well to understand if you would like to work there. If an interview question is difficult, ask them for more details. Try to understand the question before you answer, this shows them that you care about doing a good job.
Third,
get to know yourself better, so you have the best possible vocabulary to explain to others what you are good at. You can do this using personality tests, spending time with a career coach, reading books. For many years I have used and recommended a book you will find in every library - it is updated all the time and the title is “What color is your parachute” by Richard E. Bolles. The exercises in there are very well done and simple to follow.
Lastly, never ever say anything just because you want the job title, or you think that is what they want to hear, or because the company is big/famous, or the money is good. Those things never work in the long run and create only unhappiness for you and for them.
Thank you so much Gonzalo Farias for asking this question. You made me think and I loved looking at the topic from a psychological angle.