| For many any job interview is a traumatic experience. | | | | with your reactions as well as those of the interviewer. |
| You are a contestant in a competition conducted on | | | | The following framework is recommended: |
| unfamiliar territory where the winner takes all. To | | | | A. COMPANY: Opening, Introductions, Information |
| succeed you must impress people you have never | | | | about the Company along with a description of the |
| met. You must deal with brain paralyzing stress to | | | | role and responsibilities of the position given by the |
| present unrehearsed convincing responses to every | | | | Interviewer along your reactions, impressions and |
| question. Interviews can be unpredictable and you are | | | | feelings. |
| in constant risk of making an embarrassing mistake. | | | | B. QUESTIONS: List each question asked by the |
| In a world that values perfection, it is a common human | | | | interviewer at the top of its own page. |
| survival trait to either completely dismiss a disastrous | | | | Write underneath detailed descriptions of |
| experience such as an interview from the mind, or to | | | | - Your response |
| rationalize that there were circumstances beyond your | | | | - Your feelings |
| control that lead to your failure. Some individuals are | | | | - What you noticed in the reactions of the interviewer, |
| expert at forgetting everything within minutes of | | | | both verbal and nonverbal at any point |
| leaving the interview room. | | | | - Any discussions, include jokes, different points of |
| There is merit in this strategy, because individuals must | | | | view, and |
| move forward, otherwise they risk becoming stuck in | | | | - What recommendations could you make to improve |
| an endless loop of negative emotions arising from the | | | | your impact on the interviewers. |
| contemplation of past interview failures. | | | | STRATEGIZE |
| Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World | | | | Reviewing your interview experience allows you to |
| War II once said "Those that fail to learn from history, | | | | develop your own recommendations for behaving and |
| are doomed to repeat it." | | | | responding to similar situations at future interviews. |
| Do you know that some of the most successful | | | | Create a check list about what you could do before to |
| entrepreneurs have experienced more failure than | | | | prepare better or would do if the same situation arose |
| success? They have made an art of treating mistakes | | | | again. For example, an outcome of your review |
| or even failure as an opportunity to recognize risk, and | | | | maybe identifying a need to |
| take evasive action to minimize, avoid or prevent them | | | | - improve your research of the hiring company to also |
| from having to go through a similar experience in the | | | | include its clients and products |
| future. | | | | - rehearse a response on why you want the job |
| Interview performance can only change when | | | | - make a great response to explain why you are the |
| individuals choose to learn from their past experience. | | | | best candidate |
| Each interview experience is a gold mine for learning | | | | - create a profile on your communication skills with |
| and self development. | | | | examples from your past |
| This three-step strategy is simple - capture, analyze | | | | - make a list of your weakness as well as your |
| and strategize. | | | | strengths |
| CAPTURE | | | | - list the best clothes to wear, or |
| Preferably within an hour of completing your interview, | | | | - remind yourself to calculate total travelling time so |
| go to a place close by such as a cafe, where you can | | | | that you arrive at least 15 minutes before the |
| quickly and comfortably write down EVERYTHING | | | | scheduled interview time. |
| you remember hearing, spoken, experienced and | | | | Over time you will build a profile of companies and the |
| observed. | | | | interview experience you had with each of them. You |
| Do not worry about replicating the exact order of the | | | | will begin to know what to expect in the initial stages |
| interview. The primary aim without indulging in | | | | of an interview. Your prior experience and knowledge |
| excessive self-judgment is to record as much as you | | | | will give you a strategic advantage in interviews. It will |
| can remember. | | | | help you formulate questions if the interviewer does |
| Listed below are suggestions for this recording task: | | | | not cover the topic areas that interest you the most, |
| - Honestly describe the range of your feelings at any | | | | either at the beginning or at the close when an |
| point, even in the days leading up to the interview, for | | | | interviewer often asks if you have any questions. |
| example, how nervous or confident you were feeling | | | | This strategy allows you to build your own personal |
| - List all questions asked including your own to the | | | | resource tool box based on your own background of |
| interviewer | | | | interview questions asked, and your recommendations |
| - Add your responses include the structure, | | | | for how to organize and present your responses to |
| organisation, and the confidence of your delivery, as | | | | favorably influence an interviewer. |
| well as any stories used to illustrate you possess the | | | | Successful job applicants are individuals who |
| desired skills, experience and knowledge | | | | - Are willing to examine each interview experience, |
| - Note down the reactions of the interviewer(s): | | | | their mistakes and failures without excessive |
| interested, smiling, impatient, indifferent, rejecting, or that | | | | self-judgment |
| they looked bored. | | | | - Know their own areas of weakness and have |
| The stress and overwhelm of an interview experience | | | | developed countermeasure strategies |
| often prevents individuals from remembering ALL | | | | - Treat their mistakes or even failures as an |
| details in this initial session. There will be some parts | | | | opportunity to raise their awareness to identify |
| that will stand out - and it is often the worst | | | | potential risks, thereby being able to avoid or prevent a |
| experiences or the best. You will remember more | | | | similar disastrous situation from happening in the future |
| over the days that follow the interview. It is very | | | | - Initiate strategies such as an Interview Checklist to |
| important and productive to capture these | | | | remind them of key resources they have available to |
| observations as well. | | | | improve future performance |
| ANALYZE | | | | - Demonstrate a willingness to unlearn ineffective |
| As soon as possible after you finish the initial | | | | behavior patterns such as monosyllabic (yes/no), or |
| information capture session of your review, rewrite | | | | defensive responses, and |
| and arrange all information to make it easy to analyze | | | | - Can always look past failure, and keep striving to |
| and/or add additional observations. It is important to | | | | succeed with their goal to efficiently engage the mind |
| connect context, what was happening or being said, | | | | of interviewers on the benefits of hiring them. |