I Just KNOW I Got the Job ...  

Well I THINK I did...

I spoke to my client the day before his interview. He was particularly stressed (naturally!) because he hadn’t been on an interview in at least ten years. We reviewed all the typical interview questions in his industry. We discussed how to respond to some of the more awkward questions. We discussed what questions are appropriate for the interviewer to ask and how to deal with any questions he was not comfortable answering. But what about the unexpected questions? How can we rehearse/prepare answers for those questions he’s not expecting, he asked. He seemed most concerned about his “competitors”.

What if they answer the questions better than he does? What if they are younger? What if they’ll work for less money? What if they present themselves better? What if they look better in a suit? Calm down; don’t let your anxiety accompany you to the interview! Yes, I know. Easier said than done. But that’s what you say at moments like those, right?

The most important thing is to be well prepared and to keep in mind that they selected you to be one of the interviewees. In their eyes, you are a very viable option for the slot they have open. They do not want to waste their time interviewing candidates that are not appropriate! You’re way ahead of the game. Think of ALL the resumes in the “NO” pile! 

As I have discussed in this column previously, there are many aspects of a job search completely within your control. You can control getting to the interview on time. You can research the company ahead of time and have questions and information on hand showing your interest and preparedness. You can make sure you are well groomed, pleasant, and organized. You can impress the interviewer with your confidence. You might want to compliment the interviewer on their attire or the artwork on their wall or the photographs of their children 

What you can’t do is rewrite history – your resume and previous work experience are what you bring to the table. In the interview, your job is to stress the part of YOUR history, experience and work ethic that will show you are the most desirable candidate for this position. The person interviewing you will look like a hero by hiring the right person.  Sounds simple enough.

In a perfect scenario, the interviewer will think that you are the best candidate for the job, and that hiring you will be the best thing that ever happened to the company. After the interview, you can (and should) send a wonderful note thanking the person for their time and reiterating your interest in the position (if that’s the case). And in this scenario the phone will ring a few days later and an offer will be made to your liking. Keep in mind that while you ARE waiting for the phone to ring, that you can keep going on interviews and honing THOSE skills – just in case.