“I totally freeze when I am in an interview,” a job candidate recently told me. “I have no idea what happens to me when I am in an interview, my mind goes blank, and I can’t think of a good way to describe my skills. I can’t even remember my skills.”
While her comments may sound extreme, a lot of job candidates feel the same way.
It helps to take a different perspective on interviewing when you feel pressured to market your skills.
The art of interviewing basically lies in your ability to understand the power of nonverbal and verbal behaviors in a conversation. In a nutshell, an interview is a conversation that focuses on the potential employer’s needs and your ability to meet those needs.
In order to successfully convey your value to the potential employer, you need to be in touch with your emotions and use them to guide you rather than let them become a barrier.
Feelings of doubt and intimidation may be the result of focusing too much on yourself and not enough on the employer’s needs. Always keep in mind you would not be invited to an interview if you did not have the skills or background that interested the employer.
Another job seeker said interviewing felt like being interrogated. Interviewing can feel intimidating when a job seeker is not fully prepared for an interview.
When you go on an interview, it may feel as though every part of you is being judged or evaluated. The more unprepared you are to describe what you bring to the interview table; the more likely it is you will feel the conversation is one-sided.
To be successful at interviewing, it helps to understand what it’s all about. Interviewing is a structured two-way conversation designed to determine if you match the company’s culture, and evaluate your skills, abilities and value. Your job in the interviewing process is to build rapport with the interviewer and determine the needs of the employer.
Keep in mind these three powerful facts as you interview. You are the one who can:
• Increase profitability
• Reduce costs and/or eliminate expenses
• Make the person you’ll report to/your employer look good for hiring you.
Interviewing can be seen as a business transaction that revolves around “the match.” When you start mixing your emotions (ego) into the process instead of focusing on the potential employer’s needs, feelings of rejection and doubt build.
The key is to stay balanced and keep in mind why you are there: To be seen as a valuable contributor.
