|
Your Job Interview Is Like A Blind Date
You are off to a good start. You know a little about your date and your
date knows a little about you. The description of your blind date seems to
be too good to be true – a perfect vision of your ideal partner. They have
the right physical attributes and personal qualities. Your matchmaking
friends are even more excited than you because they’re convinced you are
perfect for one another. The date has been set. You can hardly wait!
The night arrives and you see your blind date walk through the door of the
restaurant. So far so good. The introductions go very well. They are very
attractive and have a great personality. They seem to like you too. You
can sense each other’s nerves, and are very careful about saying the wrong
thing and turning each other off. After about fifteen minutes of slightly
awkward conversation mostly dominated by your friends, your date, who by
the way is a nurse, says, “So, I hear you’re a successful pharmaceutical
sales representative with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in
the country. That sounds so exciting. How did you get into pharmaceutical
sales? You begin by talking about how you’ve always been interested in
medicine, enjoy selling, and never saw yourself at a desk job. You explain
how you joined the company when they launched one of the best selling
nebulizers on the market. As you humbly mention that you grew your sales
territory to rank as one of the highest in the country, the waitress
interrupts to take your plates and asks if you’d like desert. Wow, the
conversation just flowed. You even forgot you were on a date! Your date
was so interested in what you had to say, and they responded so well to
the great questions you asked them about their work and family. Your date
can sense you are truly interested in them. In the first half hour, you
both realized you have so much in common. Deep down inside you are praying
they like you as much as you like them, and hope they aren’t seeing anyone
else. By the end of the night, it seems your date feels the same way. You
both agree to a second date – this time alone!
Okay, let’s rewind the tape. You’re not in pharmaceutical sales yet. But,
that is what you want to be. You’ve just graduated with a Bachelor’s
degree in Biochemistry with a concentration in Psychology. You’ve had your
resume professionally developed and it’s time to send it out. You scour
all the job boards and classified ads, and talk to everyone in your
personal network. Things are looking up. In less than two weeks, you have
lined up four promising interviews.
So, if everything is going so well, why are you so nervous? Is it because
you’re afraid you are going to fail at making a great first impression?
Take a deep breath. There is a way to overcome this fear -- and you hold
the key. Remember that blind date? What was the hardest part? That’s right
– it was the anticipation! Once you got there, everything went smoothly –
especially when they asked you about your {future} job. Why did it go so
well? Because it was about YOU! Know one knows you better than yourself,
and that’s who they want to get to know better -- YOU. THEY WANT TO
MEET YOU. THEY ALREADY LIKE YOU!
And therein lies the secret. The very fact that they have invited you for
an interview means they have PRE-QUALIFIED YOU FOR THE JOB! Can you
believe that? It’s true! They are hoping that you are as good in person
and you are on paper. If you are, like your blind date, they’re going to
pray that you’ll stop interviewing with other companies and accept their
offer to join their company.
So how do you gain the confidence you need to overcome your interview
jitters? First, believe in yourself. Know how talented and knowledgeable
you are. Remember, your resume says you are – and that’s why they want to
meet YOU. Next, do your homework. Learn about the company. Ask genuine
questions to show how interested you are in what their company does, why
the position is available, what the position is about, and what the
potential is to grow with the company. Volunteer to tell them what you
know about their company, using it as a lead-in for a question you might
have or save it as a response to a question they may have. Do not fail to
ask questions! Do not wait until the end and say, “No, I think you
answered all my questions (that were silently in my head!). BE PROACTIVE
in the interview. As long as you know who you are and know something about
them, you should have no problem hitting it off. If for some crazy reason
they decide to offer the position to someone else, don’t be discouraged.
There are other fish in the sea. Think of it as a great experience and
opportunity to practice your interviewing skills.
In summary, the interview is a meeting between two interested people. They
already know about themselves. So, it’s about YOU. They want to meet YOU.
They want to get to know YOU. Just be yourself, be interesting, polite,
and show your interest in them. If it is meant to be (hey, remember, you
might not like them. Did you ever think about that?), you will be invited
to a second interview or will be offered the position after the first
meeting.
By
Ann Baehr |
Writers Profile
Ann Baehr is a CPRW and President of Best Resumes of New York.
Notable credentials include her former role as Second Vice President of
NRWA and contribution to 25+ resume and cover letter sample books. To
learn more visit
http://www.e-bestresumes.com or see view resume samples, visit
http://www.e-bestresumes.com/resume_samples.htm
resumesbest@earthlink.net
|
