DO YOU NEED TO LEARN INTERVIEWING STYLES
jng...@gmail.com
August 16, 2007
Volume iii, issue 17
DO YOU NEED TO LEARN INTERVIEWING STYLES?
There are articles that discuss different interviewing styles and
advise job seekers to learn them in order to be properly prepared to
face whichever one they encounter.
This is absurd. There’s neither value nor benefit to it. Memorize
every question and the recommended answers that apply to each style?
And when the interview begins, you say to yourself, "Aha! It's The
Abstract Theoretical Look Sideways Style!" and you know exactly what
to say and do. An interview is nerve-wracking enough without worrying
about which style you'll encounter.
Your interview preparation, which is an absolute must, is about you,
not the hiring authority’s interviewing style. That’s because the
interview is about the company and how your presence will benefit
them. So your preparation should focus on what you’re looking for,
knowing your capabilities, listing questions to ask, and forming your
answers to fundamental interview questions. Selling yourself to the
company is how you ace the interview. It’s how you retain the power to
decide if you want to return. Do this properly and the style you
encounter is irrelevant.
Interviewing is 85% prep and 15% common sense, and that includes
occasionally mirroring. For instance, if the interviewer is chatty,
longer answers are okay. If the interviewer is crisp and serious, keep
your answers focused and on the topic. If he seems lost, jump in there
and sell yourself. How they interview tells you something about who
they are. And sometimes that’s enough.
Say you run into an interviewer who uses a behavioral style and throws
some stress technique in. He wants to make you sweat. You feel as if
he’s grilling you, and you might as well have been fingerprinted.
There's no need to get all worked up (besides, he wants you to). If
that's his interview style, what do you think it will be like
reporting to him?
Probably brutal. If you want to work for a control freak or someone
who needs to appear tough and all-knowing, you've found the place.
Good money? Eventually you'll hate your boss, then you'll hate your
job, then your life will be hell, because the salary won't be worth
it. Short drive? Eventually you'll hate your boss, then you'll hate
your job then your life will be hell, because the drive will still be
too long - you won't want to go where you're driving. Great
advancement promised? After how long? How many people quit because
their boss was a jerk?
If he's rapid firing questions at you, hoping to trip you up, let him
feel important. Finish the interview and cross the company off your
list.
If your first interview is with human resources, sometimes they’re
crisply detailed and attempt to intimidate you. If you know yourself,
what you're looking for, and have done your research, you're less
likely to get flustered. Others are adept at giving you enough rope to
hang yourself, so don't be lulled into a warm, cozy camaraderie.
They're screeners, but in that sense, they’re also decision makers.
There are different interview styles, just as there are different
types of people. The hiring authority's style is usually reflective of
his personality. Stay aware of what's happening at the moment, what
you're saying, what you're learning, and how you're feeling about
what's taking place. You neither need, nor want, to please everyone
you meet. Instead of falling all over yourself to make the grade, be
objective and pay attention to what information you’re gathering and
whether it corresponds to what you’re looking for in your perfect job.
/The more you've done your homework, the more relaxed you'll feel. The
more relaxed you feel, the more confident and in control of your
answers you'll be, and the less likely try to gratify the performer of
a specific style.
Put effort into making sure you know what your skills are, what gets
you excited about going to work, and under what type of management
style you flourish. Know your accomplishments and how they relate to
what the company is looking for. Be aware of what motivates you and
what turns you off. Spend time learning about the company with whom
you'll be interviewing instead of trying to prepare for an interview
style you can’t possibly anticipate.
Finding your perfect job is about being real about who you are, not
trying to respond in a favorable manner to someone in hopes that this
will endear you to them and give you a better shot at the job.
Because when you’re real about who you are and know what you’re
looking for, it doesn’t matter what style you encounter. You'll be
comfortable with any style you meet. And when they want you to come
back for another interview, you can decide if you want to....or not.
Quote
The worst days of those who enjoy what they do are better than the
best days of those who don't.
----Jim Rohn