Your Interview, Your Choice!
Talk about sensory overload: new website, new laptop, whoa mama! I literally just took this laptop out of the box, so we’re still in the honeymoon stage of our folie a deux; no, I haven’t started screaming profanity at it. We’re still in the early stages of the “Who’s-Afraid-of-Virginia-Woolf” dinner theater which all-too-frequently ends up becoming the spirit animal of my relationships. Anyhoo.
So a friend/former client/person who’s been on the receiving end of a few too many pep-talks, was telling me about an interview she has coming up in a few weeks. She “joked” that she has time enough to stew over it. She was doing the kind of “joking,” wherein people are totally kidding but maybe not really, and Carlota, don’t yell at me, I need help!
Ugh, how many people hate to go on interviews! I understand; interviewing is the epitome of selling yourself.You have to meet with strangers–strangers, who are totally judging you, even as they pretend they’re not– and be perky, charming, intelligent, and speak in thoughtful coherent sentences about why you’re an excellent candidate for this job, and we’re all friends here… when inside you want to vomit, and cry and maybe just flat out beg for the job, and/or maybe just just give up and marry someone who needs a Green Card for cash. (One wonders how many people have read this last sentence and are all, “….whoa, whoa, WHOA. When did this become an option and why was I not alerted!”)
But here’s the thing: what if you took control of your interview and made it go you way? My friend, for example, has about two weeks before her interview. That’s a lifetime. That’s a lifetime for her to research online the company, the people who work there, their online reviews, the company’s online presence and personality. Time enough to see what types of issues that company seems to be focusing on. This person can check out the company on LinkedIn, and see their Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest presence. Again, what is the company’s focus and goals? How can she demonstrate, through her ideas and experience, her relevancy to the company’s business agenda? On LinkedIn, she can research if she knows anyone who works, or worked at the company and reach out to them for the 411. (Ha, yes I did!)
This person can also start writing out talking points for the interview, as a way to organize in her own mind, what she wants to present about herself, her relevant experience, why she’s interested in the company, and why she thinks she would be a uniquely good fit. Then, she has time to start practicing these talking points on her friends and loved ones. (That’s why you love them because they let you rehearse on them.) When she takes control of telling her story–i.e. of how she is perceived–she can become very powerful in the interview process, and thus make it more of a conversation between equals. And let’s face it, when you feel confident, you shine.
I know, that is a ton of work. A ton of tedious work. You are extremely correct. But the reward, of course, is nailing the interview. The reward, of course, is being so comfortable and confident, in your own skin, that you are able to relax and really interact with the interviewer. Those are the kinds of interviews in which the interviewer asks if you could meet some other people, and suddenly you realize you’ve been talking to a lot of people and someone’s asking you if you could start tomorrow. And inwardly, you start dancing like MC Hammer or something. (Dear Jebus, inwardly, please.)
That is a great deal more fun than an interview that ends with you wanting to vomit because you didn’t prepare because it seemed like too much trouble, or because you were convinced you wouldn’t get the job…or maybe worried you would get the job, and wouldn’t be able to do it, so you sabotaged yourself. Ugh, that’s a miserable day. That’s a day that ends with a lot of alcohol.
My point being: this very smart, talented girl has a lot of options. Since she doesn’t want to end up in my loving head-lock, I have no doubt but that she’s going to get down to business, any minute now, and start researching, writing and thinking, bless her heart. For you people at home, thinking about interviews you have coming up, or interviews you’d like to have coming up…hey, shoot me an email at carlota@carlotaworldwide.com, and let’s start talking about how I can help you!
Besos,
C.
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