What’s one of the worst things you can do in an interview? Focus on getting the job! Focusing on the outcome can take your energy away from focusing on the interview! My advice is that you walk into the interview with the attitude that the job is yours for the taking. Now that you know you have the job (if you want it), get very present and focused on having a good, interesting, effective conversation.
Too often, when we’re focused on “selling” ourselves and closing the deal, we disconnect from what’s happening in the present. We try to make a perfect pitch and get caught up in stuff we’ve memorized. We get stressed. We stop breathing. We focus on making an impression rather than being in the energy of alertness, interest and enthusiasm. We focus on ourselves and lose contact with those we’re talking to.
Trying to be perfect, or to get it “right”, dampens our presence. Each of us has a unique spirit and a personality. Interviewers hire people with positive energy and confidence, people that seem genuine and authentic, not people who fit into their box. They don’t want someone who’s faking it. They want someone who is sincere. They want to know you’re truly committed and thoughtful about what you offer and how to contribute your skills and expertise to meet their needs.
Connection is the glue that engages people and gets us hired. Connection first to yourself (what makes me truly interested in this job? how does it match me?), and then connection to the interviewers (who are just people by the way). I’m talking about rapport and chemistry. You can develop rapport by being curious about who you’re talking to and having relevant stories. Chemistry is mostly “you have it or you don’t,” so the best you can do is dress neatly and professionally and be showered.
By thinking of an interview as a conversation, you can get genuinely interested in who’s in the room. Your body language softens, you relax, and you become more relatable. At the same time, you can be more discerning about your potential co-workers and managers. You can assess if these are people you can relate to… day after day, year after year, through challenges and big projects.
The next time you have an interview, remember that people hire people they trust, people that they can communicate with. Being present can help you make a connection that counts. And it’ll help you decide whether your potential employer is someone you’d take out to lunch.
Here are some suggestions to help you get present:
• Make notes with strong skill/accomplishment stories. You’ll want these so you know you have material you can refer to at your fingertips.
• Get clear how your values, interests and beliefs line up with the company and its mission. Can you feel that you’re a match?
• Learn about your interviewers. What are their interests? What are their backgrounds?
• Before the interview, connect to your body- feel your feet on the floor, put your hands on your belly, do the wonder woman pose and imagine that you’re big and solid.
• Breathe. Slow long breaths with a longer exhale helps us to calm and get present.
And put on an attitude and a mindset that says, this job is a fit for me and I’m going to sashay into the office and demonstrate how my skills and experience and personality lines up beautifully for the position.