I arrived trying to hide my shortness of breath and trying to appear normal.
“Hello, I’m here for a job interview, my name…”
Without letting me finish, the receptionist motioned for me to go into the waiting room.
“Well, if I have to wait, that means I’m not that late” I thought to reassure myself.
But when I entered the waiting room I saw that it was packed with people waiting.
“Are we all going to the same interview?… at the same time?”
Then I realized that this was one of my worst nightmares: a group dynamic.
If I was already nervous, imagine now. If I screw up during the interview and have one of my “swallow me Earth episodes” it wouldn’t be between me and the interviewer, all the other candidates would also witness it.
I finally walked into the waiting room and felt everyone looking me up and down as if trying to determine if I’m going to be a weak or strong candidate.
I don’t know where to look.
I don’t know what to do with my hands.
I feel silly and watched by everyone.
My instinct was to pick up my phone and pretend as if I was texting someone, even though, in reality, I was just sliding my finger up and down meaninglessly.
It seemed like everyone already knew each other and conversations had started to flow between the candidates.
“Why does everyone seem to get along so damn well?”
It felt like I was the only one not talking to anyone, but I didn’t have anything to say either. I certainly wasn’t in the mood for a group interview. I began to entertain the idea of leaving and making an excuse, but then two young men in suits entered the room asking us to accompany them. It’s too late to escape
It was one of the worst interviews of my life. It seemed that I had forgotten how to talk:
“Hi, I’m a college student. Well, I don’t study it anymore, I studied it a few years ago.”🙄
Sentences like that, without any meaning, and conjugating verbs like a foreigner.
I left wanting to get home, go to bed to eat junk food, watch my favorite series and forget everything (like Sheldon Cooper when he gets angry)
But at the same time I was angry with myself. No one was to blame for what had happened except me. The truth was that I had not prepared enough for the interview. And above all, I left wanting to never go through that experience again.
Since then I have had more interviews and all of them have gone better than that one. Especially since now I do a kind of ritual every time I face them. These are the tips that I have compiled through my experience! 💡
Before the interview.
- Get ready, seriously.
Research information about the company you are going to work for. It seems like obvious advice, but in the anecdote that I have told you, I just looked at the company’s home page. It is important that you know the mission, values and objectives of the company. I’m not saying that you learn them by heart, but at least if they ask you something related to it, don’t let your mind go blank. There are also hundreds of sample interviews on Google, many written by people who have worked in human resources. Take advantage of them.
- Rehearse in front of a mirror.
I know it sounds typical of what you see in the movies, but it really works. Standing in front of a mirror will help you notice the expressions you make, what your body language is like, and help you be more confident when you speak in front of people.
If you feel too silly doing the above, rehearse in front of your mobile camera, Record yourself as many times as necessary.
Gather your brother, your mother, your friends, or anyone you trust enough to make a fool of yourself for a while. The good thing is that you will have a good time, but again practicing speaking out loud will make you more aware of your voice, the expressions you use, and your lack of vocabulary. In addition, the people around you will be able to tell you what things you can improve or answers you have given that do not make much sense.
On the way to the job interview
I’m not going to tell you to calm down because that won’t be possible. What you can do is play it down. You already know all the reasons why you need to get that job, but what if you don’t get it? It won’t be the end of the world anyway, and you’ll get out of this.
On the way to interviews or public presentations I always play a mind game in my head. First recognize how little I feel like going to such a place, then I think about what other situation would be even worse.
What’s worse than a group interview? For me It would be worse to have to do a comedy show in front of thousands of people trying to make them laugh. It sounds absurd, since I will probably never be forced to do such a thing, but it helps me to focus my mind on something else and relieve myself.
In the waiting room.
In the waiting room forget everything you’ve learned. It is like when before an exam it is not advisable to start looking at the notes because it only contributes to making you more nervous and having more doubts. Well, the same here. The cards are already laid, now it’s time to play.
I recommend that you arrive soon at the place. This way you won´t feel like I did that day when I was stressed about being late and feeling that everyone was watching me.
The good thing about being one of the first to arrive is that you can start talking with the different candidates, even if they are about superficial topics, it will not be so difficult for you to talk later in the interview.
This will also help you not to see the rest of the candidates as opponents, but more as acquaintances who have the same goals as you. Really, changing your mindset will help you transmit better vibes when it comes to speaking in the interview.
At the interview.
Pay attention to your body posture.
I know this can be overwhelming as you are receiving a lot of new information from one moment to the next. But remember these three guidelines:
- Look the interviewer in the eye,
- Keep your back straight and
- Gesture with your hands to accompany your words. And that’s it.
If you can, you can watch videos about the best postures when speaking and body language, but if you think that it will be too much to take into account, remember those three previous tips.
Don’t pretend to be outgoing!
I know that it is very normal to find job postings looking for people with people skills and communication skills.
Well, that’s relative. We often understand this as the ability to talk endlessly about any topic. But communicative skills also include being able to listen, to observe, to analyze, and then to speak. I think that has much more value.
The worst thing about group dynamics is that they ask a question and one by one we must give our answer or opinion. When you are the first one to respond is better because you say what you have to say, period. But if more people have spoken in front of you, it is possible that you do not want to repeat yourself, that you consider what you are going to say absurd, that you do not want to seem unoriginal.
Use your gift as an introvert to give a response enriched by what they have said previously. For example, if they have asked, What can you bring to this job? Maybe you already had your answer ready, and the person in front of you just said the exact same thing, say it, it’s okay!
Keep in mind that those who work as human resources are people who once went through several interviews. The important thing is that you do it from your own perspective. If the person in front of you has said that being very organized and orderly can contribute, you can use synonyms if you do not want to repeat the same words and say why you think you are like that. That is something very personal that no one will have said before in your own words.
After the interview
If the interview has not gone as you expected and you feel that your day is going to go downhill because of it, vent yourself by writing.
Write down your thoughts in a notebook or diary, what moments do you think you screwed up? what were the moments “swallow me earth” and of course what you think is in your power to improve.
If you have not received a response in the period that the company said they would contact if they were interested, it is recommended that you write an email asking for feedback.
I know you don’t feel like it, you might feel like you’re dragging yourself. But it’s not just about leaving a good impression, it’s about getting the most out of every experience, whether good or bad.
Although sometimes they won’t respond to your email, there will be other times they will and they will be happy to give you honest feedback.
I hope these tips will help you for your next interview. Do you have any ritual before having to speak in public? Let me know in the comments! ✌️
Related Content
- Open offices: a hell for introverts and HSPs?
It was the third that Tom got up to go to the bathroom, what the hell was this man drinking? In front of me, my other coworker, who seemed to be typing at a thousand miles per hour… or was I typing too slowly? In the background, but still too close, my boss was talking… Read more: Open offices: a hell for introverts and HSPs? - How to end a conversation without being rude
If you find yourself not knowing how to end a conversation, welcome to the club. The truth is that whether you are an introvert or not, having a conversation is one of the most complex human activities: we are constantly receiving and sending stimuli, trying to understand the message, tone of voice, emotions and body… Read more: How to end a conversation without being rude - The undervalued power of being alone
What if I told you that knowing how to be alone is a superpower? Perhaps you would find it funny, especially if you are an introverted person like me. Maybe is because being introverted is quite undervalued in the society in which we live, to the point where those of us who do enjoy being… Read more: The undervalued power of being alone - Being an au pair when you are shy and introvert. Tips and experience.
Being an au pair can be one of the best decisions of your life to learn a language, take off from the nest and discover new places. You have hardly any expenses, you receive a weekly pocket money and you have a lot of free time to explore the city and socialize. I have been… Read more: Being an au pair when you are shy and introvert. Tips and experience. - Why don’t introverts emerge as leaders?
It’s no surprise that introverts can make great leaders. There are quite a few references about great introverted leaders from politicians like Barack Obama, film directors, human rights activists or even influencers (as we collect in our list of famous introverts). But then why don’t we see job offers where introverted executives are in demand?… Read more: Why don’t introverts emerge as leaders?
