Staying Confident During Interviews

Some of the basics of interviewing come naturally for the mature worker. For example, we know that the interviewer has to like us if we have any chance of interviewing well. We also know that we need to show up well groomed and dressed appropriately for the organization we are targeting. What I want to address in this article is unacknowledged fear of the situation. The sabotaging fear that we are going to do badly can lead us to fulfill this unacknowledged fear. Then the problem deepens because the fear and the outcome confirm the expectation.

The first step to correcting any problem is to first acknowledge that it exists. Once the problem is acknowledged and understood, we can develop some strategies which will lead to a solution. We all know that preparation is one of the keys to interviewing well, so we go to the target organization’s web page and read up on the current news. We read up on the management team and review their work history on LinkedIn. We develop 5 to 10 questions for the interview process that will lead to learning more about the company. You prepare your qualifications to the job requirements by doing a “T” or “Q” chart, so that you have an answer or story for every requirement that has been published for the open position.

Now it is time to do an internal check or inventory of your attitudes and feelings which will affect the interview process. This process requires “quiet time” where you can drill down into how you feel. You need to become aware of your self-talk or the conversations that we all have when faced with important events. Be especially careful to catch any negative “conversations” that will provide clues to your internal attitudes. You may catch yourself imagining perceived unfair questions which make you feel “less than” which activates your anger towards the interviewers. Keep in mind that imagined slights can alter your mood and set you up for failure. It is fantasy. Finding adequate quiet time for reflection can be a challenge. I often go for a drive or use the drive time to the interview where I turn off the cell phone and radio. I stay in the middle lane and pay attention to where my mind drifts.

Finding and correcting any false attitudes is necessary to make sure that you don’t harm yourself during the interview. Once you find that you are imagining a bad outcome, write out the fantasy and then correct the logic and then bury the issue by destroying the document. When the false attitude pops up again, you can correct the thought and tell yourself that it is untrue and don’t allow the thought or feeling to take hold again.

I work on this issue quite often with my clients because it shows up repeatedly in our meetings with statements like, “I just can’t compete with the younger people.” “They take one look at me and I know that I won’t get the job.” “I read the requirements and they want someone younger than me.” “I am overqualified for job that they want to fill.” I hope you can “see” the underlying self-destructive attitudes in these statements.

I encourage my clients to make a fundamental change of heart or Metanoia where they understand that they are not “less than” nor “better than” those that are interviewing them. The interviewers are peers of the job seeker and deserve to be respected as does the job seeker. By approaching the interview with a healthy self respect and by respecting the interviewers, regardless of age, the mature job seeker will be well prepared emotionally to do well. Experience is the advantage of the mature worker and by staying balanced during the interview process you will be able to enjoy meeting your new colleagues and convincing them that you will be a valuable new employee, by using stories that prove your ability.

Categories: Interviewing, Job Search Help, Job Search Coaching