3 Habits to Stay Zen During a Job Interview
15 November 2013
Read by 2486 persons
If there is one stressful ordeal when leaving the safe world of university, it's the first job interview. Many of us have been through this! I still remember that period, even if it was a few years ago, with a touch of nostalgia. Isn't that crazy?
Let me tell you about the 3 attitudes I adopted to calmly go through this phase of my life.
First, I approached this test as a challenge. So instead of stressing myself out by telling myself negative stories, I prepared myself. Because it's well known that to tackle a test, whether it's sporting or intellectual, you prepare! So I did some research on the web to create a CV and cover letter in the expected format, yes, but above all that have an impact! And to have an impact, you have to put just the right amount of information so that our interlocutor identifies us as an eligible candidate for the position, worthy of being called for a meeting. I obviously didn't stop there. I also submitted these documents to people close to me who have solid experience in the business world.
Then I looked in my network to see who I could give my CV to. I also posted it on leading job websites. In the end, it was my networking approach that worked. But the online approach allowed me, a little later, to find ways to ask for a raise. But that's another story!
The second attitude I adopted allowed me to calmly manage the interview itself. To do this, I decided to see things from the recruiter's point of view. If you think about it, the recruiter has more at stake than we do. They are paid to get good results. A bad hiring decision can cost the company dearly and therefore the person who made the mistake. We, on the other hand, have nothing to lose and a position to gain. So who really carries the most pressure on their shoulders?
Seeing things from the recruiter's point of view means asking yourself: what does he need to make a successful recruitment? How can he choose between candidates with similar qualification levels? What is the purpose of this recruitment: short, medium, long term? What elements does he need to know that I am the person he is looking for? How can I make him understand that I dream of this position and working in this company?
As you can probably see, putting yourself in the other person's shoes helps you find the answers to the questions he is entitled and even obliged to ask himself. Again, you have a head start on other candidates because by anticipating these questions you are probably better prepared than 90% of people.
Then, keeping this state of mind of seeing things from your interlocutor's point of view, you forget yourself a little during the meeting. Indeed, as you try to understand the other person, what they are asking you, why they are doing it, their stakes... You think less about yourself and, as a result, the pressure is much less strong. Instead of telling yourself necessarily dramatic stories, you are in the present moment, focused on the exchange with the recruiter. You are sure to make a better impression than a candidate who stutters with stress or sweats with terror!
The third attitude I adopted has to do with time. I quickly understood that the ordeal was more of a marathon than a sprint. Putting myself in the mindset of someone who knows that recruitment takes time helped me not to get discouraged at the first rejection. I have friends who took 2 years to find their first job! They were probably lacking good preparation. But it can take 4 to 6 months on average. That's why it's better to develop the stamina of a marathon runner rather than the explosiveness of a sprinter to approach this type of process.
Never give up. Day after day, try something, a new approach, call a contact you met, shake up your networks.
And what helps a lot in this process is to plan your actions and stick to them! Simply write in your agenda what you need to do this week and the next and stick to it! It's better to be active for 1 hour a day, every day of the week, than 2 hours here and there. Being consistent in your efforts is undoubtedly one of the secrets of winning athletes, so why not yours too?
Reussiralafac.com
Posted on November 15, 2013.
Let me tell you about the 3 attitudes I adopted to calmly go through this phase of my life.
First, I approached this test as a challenge. So instead of stressing myself out by telling myself negative stories, I prepared myself. Because it's well known that to tackle a test, whether it's sporting or intellectual, you prepare! So I did some research on the web to create a CV and cover letter in the expected format, yes, but above all that have an impact! And to have an impact, you have to put just the right amount of information so that our interlocutor identifies us as an eligible candidate for the position, worthy of being called for a meeting. I obviously didn't stop there. I also submitted these documents to people close to me who have solid experience in the business world.
Then I looked in my network to see who I could give my CV to. I also posted it on leading job websites. In the end, it was my networking approach that worked. But the online approach allowed me, a little later, to find ways to ask for a raise. But that's another story!
The second attitude I adopted allowed me to calmly manage the interview itself. To do this, I decided to see things from the recruiter's point of view. If you think about it, the recruiter has more at stake than we do. They are paid to get good results. A bad hiring decision can cost the company dearly and therefore the person who made the mistake. We, on the other hand, have nothing to lose and a position to gain. So who really carries the most pressure on their shoulders?
Seeing things from the recruiter's point of view means asking yourself: what does he need to make a successful recruitment? How can he choose between candidates with similar qualification levels? What is the purpose of this recruitment: short, medium, long term? What elements does he need to know that I am the person he is looking for? How can I make him understand that I dream of this position and working in this company?
As you can probably see, putting yourself in the other person's shoes helps you find the answers to the questions he is entitled and even obliged to ask himself. Again, you have a head start on other candidates because by anticipating these questions you are probably better prepared than 90% of people.
Then, keeping this state of mind of seeing things from your interlocutor's point of view, you forget yourself a little during the meeting. Indeed, as you try to understand the other person, what they are asking you, why they are doing it, their stakes... You think less about yourself and, as a result, the pressure is much less strong. Instead of telling yourself necessarily dramatic stories, you are in the present moment, focused on the exchange with the recruiter. You are sure to make a better impression than a candidate who stutters with stress or sweats with terror!
The third attitude I adopted has to do with time. I quickly understood that the ordeal was more of a marathon than a sprint. Putting myself in the mindset of someone who knows that recruitment takes time helped me not to get discouraged at the first rejection. I have friends who took 2 years to find their first job! They were probably lacking good preparation. But it can take 4 to 6 months on average. That's why it's better to develop the stamina of a marathon runner rather than the explosiveness of a sprinter to approach this type of process.
Never give up. Day after day, try something, a new approach, call a contact you met, shake up your networks.
And what helps a lot in this process is to plan your actions and stick to them! Simply write in your agenda what you need to do this week and the next and stick to it! It's better to be active for 1 hour a day, every day of the week, than 2 hours here and there. Being consistent in your efforts is undoubtedly one of the secrets of winning athletes, so why not yours too?
Reussiralafac.com
Posted on November 15, 2013.
