It's Okay to Be Afraid
The average person in your shoes hasn't had any kind of interview for at least five years. Most have not had an outside job interview for fifteen years or more. If your palms sweat just thinking about an interview, you're normal. The first thing you should do is let yourself know its okay to be afraid; then deal with the fear.
Dealing with Fear at Its Root
We are taught fear; we are not born with it. Watch a six-month-old child; you will see that he is afraid of nothing. Talk to a six-year-old child and you will learn that he can't speak to strangers and he's afraid to go down the street alone.
As a parent, you can understand the need to teach children to be careful. Yet learned fears carry over into adult life. They manifest themselves in such ways as the fear of meeting new people, trying something new, making a mistake, or being less than a success.
Actually, fear is caused by insufficient information. Prejudice is an example. The word means prejudgment-making a judgment before the fact. Prejudice is usually overcome with information and experience. Many members of different races are afraid of one another, but when they have personal experience through schools, the workplace, or the armed services, they learn that they have more similarities than differences. When they get to know each other, they eliminate the fear.
Approach your job search fears, especially that of inter-viewing, in the same manner. Gather information; information is power. It will enable you to know what to expect, how to respond, and how to look more professional than your competition.
Many have written and talked about the fear of rejection. It has been turned into a bigger monster than it really is. Rarely is a job applicant personally rejected. Most of the time a person is rejected because of inadequate background, a lack of skill, or insufficient training for the job. Because these are the reasons for rejection, the problem is manageable. You can polish your skills and expand your knowledge. You can also minimize the importance of a missing or insufficient skill by focusing the hiring manager's attention on an important skill that you do have.
The bottom line is this: information reduces fear. You won't be rejected if you are prepared. You may lose a prospective job to a candidate with better credentials, but that should be rare; your years of experience give you the edge. You'll prove that edge by being the best job interviewee.
Employer's Skill Needs and Requirements
We have discussed a lot about skills. As a mid-career changer, you know you have a broader collection of skills to offer. When you prepare for a specific interview, it is time to be adept at illustrating your proficiency in the specific skills the job requires. The more you can learn about the job requirements, the easier you will handle questions regarding your ability to address those needs.
There are several ways to get this information. First, talk in depth with the human resources person assigned to fill the job. Their knowledge can range from knowing a simple job description to being intimately acquainted with the job and its requirements.
Ask questions of the human resources person with the assumption that they are knowledgeable. If they don't have the information you need, they can help you locate someone who does. Remember, their job is to send on qualified candidates. The more you ask about the job requirements, the more confident the human resources person will be that you are a superior candidate.
1. Below are the most important questions to ask a human resources person. Feel free to add to this list, on the basis of your own experience.
- In general, what does the job entail?
- How has this job been filled in the past?
- What specifically made the previous person successful in the job?
- What specifically could have been done to improve job performance?
- If you were the hiring manager, what one characteristic would you consider most important in a candidate for this position?
- What special skills did the previous person have?
- What personal qualities make people successful around here?
Company's Background and Culture
The human resources person can give you extensive information and background on the company. Many companies have packets of information already prepared for new employees and job applicants. If a packet is not offered, ask for one. If the human resources department can't help you, the marketing department probably can. Tell them you are interviewing for a job and that you want to be as well prepared as possible.
Asking for information shows that you are seriously interested in the job. And the knowledge will help you present yourself as being attuned to the company's style.
Last but not least, learning more about the company helps you determine if this is the company you want to join. You're making an important change; don't short-circuit it by failing to confirm that the company fits your needs.
Interviewer's Personal Taste and Characteristics
Before your first interview, do your best to determine who will be interviewing you during the hiring process. Generally, there will be three to five interviews before a job offer is made. (Because you are a more senior person, occasionally there could be more than that.) When you learn who the interviewers are, gather all the personal information you can find about each individual.
If you're running into a brick wall, try talking to other employees within the company or department.
Closing the Sale . . . Getting the Offer
Closing is the easiest part of the interview if you have worked the process effectively. If you have established your value by listening to the needs of the interviewer and demonstrating your ability to meet those needs, then the close is the logical conclusion to the process.
Always ask for the appropriate action. If the person you are talking with is not the final decision-maker, ask that your name be passed on to the next person in the process. If the interviewer is the decision-maker, ask them 1) when they expect to make the decision and 2) what criteria will be used to determine who will be hired.
The answer to the first question tells you their timing, thus reducing anxiety while you wait for a call. The answer to the second question allows you a chance to deal with job requirements that you may not have uncovered during the previous interviews. At this point, you may need to demonstrate an additional skill or reinforce the quality of your candidacy.
Finally, end the interview by saying that you want the job and will be expecting a call on the day they make their decision.
It isn't hard to be good at interviewing, it just takes practice. Your senior experience offers you the ability to find truly meaningful stories and then adapt those stories to the specific needs of the interviewer. Younger people don't have your experience. They cannot relate to the interviewing process as well as you can. Use these interviewing tips, teamed with your selling resume, and you'll sell yourself into a new career.
