Interview Check List #19: Was I very nervous and, if so, what prompted this nervousness?
Was there something in what the employer said that prompted you to feel a lack of confidence? And how might you have handled things differently?
John, a candidate for a training position remembers being seated for an interview went the interviewer, Marcia, said, “Oh, I see you were at ABC Bank for a while. You must have worked for Nora Smith. She’s one of my best friends!” John had worked for Nora but they didn’t get along. He began to wonder if Marcia already had heard about him from Nora. Then he began to worry about what would happen if Marcia were to call Nora and what would Nora say, and so on: pretty soon he was very distracted and missed some things Marcia was saying and asking. Needless to say, he made a weak impression on the employer and he was not called back.
If you suddenly feel dread or a wave of insecurity, you need to remember that you’re in the interview because you have skills the employer needs Remind yourself that the most important thing right now is educating the employer as to how you can do the job. Everyone gets butterflies but in this way you can start to control them.
www.janecos.com Jane Roqueplot
