Bombing Job Interviews? Here's How to Fix It. Work in Sports Podcast e095

If you are getting job interviews but not getting the job, it's time to do an analysis of your interview technique. Listen in, we'll show you how it's done.

Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Director of content for WorkinSports.com and this is the work in sports podcast… It’s a Monday QA session!

Here's this week question from Delaney in Missouri:

Hi Brian, I love the podcast and have learned so much from listening to you and the other experts you bring on. You make road trips better and walking my dog much more entertaining. [Delaney, you rock]

On to my question – I’m a recent college graduate, like within the last few weeks, but I’ve been looking for jobs for the last 3 months to be ready for this point. I’ve had two interviews, both for jobs I was really excited about, but I think I bombed. I felt caught off guard and unprepared and basically blew it.

I’m worried that if I don’t turn this around I’m going to miss out on opportunities I am a good match for. Panic is setting in. Can you help?!

Delaney – congrats on finishing college! That is a huge step in itself, and deserves to be celebrated.

My first instinctual response isn’t related to the interview process itself, it’s related to you. You are losing the battle of nerves, and this effect is steamrolling you.

• The worst thing you can do is have the pressure multiply on you.
• Think of each event as an individual event, rather than the end of the line or the “one”
• Stop fortune telling, you don't know what is going to happen 

A few ways to boost your confidence:

1. Get comfortable with rejection.
2. Meditate/breathe
3. Visualization – (including humanize them)

Now let’s get into some interview techniques to help you out.

• First impressions and charisma matter more than you think. If you got the interview, they know you have the skills.
• Smile, make eye contact, get comfortable, don’t fidget.
• Practice – if it’s video this is especially important. Find a friend.
• Know your resume. Most interviewers will ask questions right off your resume. So tell me about a time you struggled with a decision while at company X? Get comfortable with you, that’s what this whole thing is about.
• In advance think of real world experiences and examples you can weave into the discussion. You’ve looked at the job description, if it’s a marketing job you know they are going to ask about your experience on a campaign or something, so have examples ready. If it’s a sales job you’re going to be asked about a time when you dealt with an unruly or upset customer – so have an example ready.
• Change your thinking – so many people go into an interview expecting to be grilled and hated and loathed and embarrassed. Get that out of your head – the person on the other side wants you to be a match! They want you to be the one!

If I told you to call me tomorrow and practice an interview, you wouldn’t feel the pressure of the result, so you’d probably put a very comfortable “you” out there. You need to think during each interview this person is on my side, they aren’t out to get me.

It’s funny I had a job interview a few years back, it was for a great job, high level, but I had already determined beforehand I wasn’t going to take it if it was offered. I took the interview anyway, and because there was no rreal pressure, I was loose, relaxed, confident, speaking comfortably…and probably did the best I had ever done in an interview. They not only made me an offer, it was 10% above the range they had previously given me.

The point is, being nervous and tight doesn’t represent you well – being the king or queen of calm, confidence will. 

MUST HAVE: follow up questions.

Leave with the right impression, have follow up questions ready in advance so you don’t have to think about them on the spot.