Job Interviews: Past and Future
Job Interview - At the beginning of our career, most of us probably dreamed about the perfect job interview in which we would make such a positive impression on the interviewer that they wouldn’t want to wait another day before hiring us. As we grew up, however, it became more and more obvious that not every interview is a perfect one. Ask anyone how many jobs they have had and how many interviews they have been to: chances are the latter will outnumber the former.
To prevent any feelings of misery and depression that might arise from this simple observation, let’s agree, from the start, that an unsuccessful job interview should not be seen as a tragedy, but rather as an example of a mistake we should avoid in the future. Such phrases as “the chance of a lifetime” and “unique opportunity” may sound nice, but few things in life are unique. There will always be new opportunities and new chances for us to improve our interview skills.
Thus, instead of letting regret overcome us, we should rather take time to review the details of the interview, so that we’ll know where we need to improve. Evaluate every stage and aspect of the interview that you can remember well, from the preparation phase till you left the office. It might help to remember what the interviewer said and did too – chances are, many of them have read the same books on interviewing and you’ll be able to predict their questions more easily in the future.
Of course, it’s not just your mistakes that you should identify. The evaluation process will also reveal positive aspects, things you did right. You’ll know not only what you need to avoid, but also what you should keep.
One last piece of advice: don’t let all this reviewing make you self-conscious. No one is perfect, and no one is expected to be. But by going over your interviews in a relaxed and objective manner, you can improve your interviewing skills and maybe land the next job.
To prevent any feelings of misery and depression that might arise from this simple observation, let’s agree, from the start, that an unsuccessful job interview should not be seen as a tragedy, but rather as an example of a mistake we should avoid in the future. Such phrases as “the chance of a lifetime” and “unique opportunity” may sound nice, but few things in life are unique. There will always be new opportunities and new chances for us to improve our interview skills.
Thus, instead of letting regret overcome us, we should rather take time to review the details of the interview, so that we’ll know where we need to improve. Evaluate every stage and aspect of the interview that you can remember well, from the preparation phase till you left the office. It might help to remember what the interviewer said and did too – chances are, many of them have read the same books on interviewing and you’ll be able to predict their questions more easily in the future.
Of course, it’s not just your mistakes that you should identify. The evaluation process will also reveal positive aspects, things you did right. You’ll know not only what you need to avoid, but also what you should keep.
One last piece of advice: don’t let all this reviewing make you self-conscious. No one is perfect, and no one is expected to be. But by going over your interviews in a relaxed and objective manner, you can improve your interviewing skills and maybe land the next job.
Comments