“Tell me about a time you collaborated with your team to solve an opaque problem, and the results were not only successful, but had positive long-term impact.”
You gaze into the eyes of your interviewer.
“That’s an excellent question,” you say, biding time.
Your palms grow clammy. Your eyes dart up to the ceiling and back down to the desk.
“Um, yeah, so there was this one time…” you begin.
Your stomach churns and your thoughts spin like the innards of a laundromat.
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I ask you, dear job hunter. Why is interviewing such a nerve-wracking process?
Would you go through such excruciating physical-emotional ailments if you were chatting with a good friend over gelato? Even if the topic were a challenging one, you would no-doubt be at ease—sharing, nodding, listening, relating—in between cold sweet bites.
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Here are 3 distinct reasons interviews can feel so upsetting:
- You did not prepare for the interview
- You are afraid of disapproval and rejection
- You are afraid of failure and what that means for your future
For items 2 and 3, it takes positive self-talk and reassurance to calm the anxieties around the things you cannot control. Such anxieties are internal emotional reactions to non-existent scenarios. Basically, you must avoid going down the What-If rabbithole.
For item number 1, you need a firm foundation of knowledge regarding the job in question. You need to be crystal-clear about what YOU can specifically and uniquely contribute as a potential hire. You need to be pumped up and eager for the role. The desire must be genuine.
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Once a firm foundation is established—now that you are gushing with knowledge and excitement—it’s time to prepare for the interview itself.
Here are 3 mighty ways to prepare yourself for an interview.
INTERVIEW TIPS
- Watch videos of interviews to explore topics, conversational flow, and body language of both the interviewee and the interviewer.
- This will give you examples from an audience perspective.
- You can identify which techniques align with your natural communication style.
- Practice what you see.
- Make videos of your own practice. Answer sample interview questions while recording.
- Set the screen of your monitor/laptop to the headshot image of a “sample” interviewer so you can look directly at them while you practice.
- Make sure you are filming yourself with the mirror-image setting off. You do not need to see yourself, since you would not be looking at yourself during an interview.
- Assess recordings and tweak your words and mannerisms until you are satisfied.
- Engage in mock interviews with friends.
- This will give you the practice you need to answer questions on-the-spot.
- Feeling safe and accepted with a trusted person, you can practice while knowing your mock-interviewer has your best interest at heart.
- Do it over gelato.
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Social-psychologists have proven time and time again that students who are given small pieces of candy directly before an exam score higher than when they are not provided a sweet treat. Something about candy (or gelato) brings us back to youth. We feel less inhibited. The flavor boost brings pleasure, which puts us in a more positive mood. Positive mood leads to the potential for a more positive outcome. So grab a spoon!
—
“Tell me about a time you collaborated with your team to solve an opaque problem, and the results were not only successful, but had positive long-term impact.”
You look at your interviewer and smile.
“What a great question,” you say.
And so it begins.
You know you’re going to rock this interview.
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