You are very much aware that the fear of the unknown is a hard thing to beat. This is something that stops us from doing the ultimate things that we are interested in. This is the thing that stops us from going out and just trying brand new things. This is the thing that stops us from just trying brand new restaurants.
And then the dog said, “BWAAA?”The fear of the unknown is something you can easily conquer if you keep these four ways that I am going to talk to you about in mind. Clearing that fog of confusion is something that you can easily handle when you become more mentally focused and prepared in recognizing that you really are in control of what happens and your success.
Now you can’t make the decision for anyone else, unfortunately, but everything else that comes from your side of the table is completely in your control and you will project whatever answers and value that you want to project. So get these four things added to your toolbox and make that interview work for you. Let’s talk about them.
1. Give Yourself Some Thinking Time
When you are actually in an interview a lot of the times, I guess people feel they need to immediately give a response and whatever’s on the tip top of their head needs to come out, but there’s quite a bit of positive gain from keeping a couple things in mind here, one you don’t have to answer immediately. People like to know that you are thinking about the answer before just spitting them out.
Spontaneity is great, but strategic thinking and problem solving tactics need to go on inside of your headfirst before you can just spit out any old answer. I recommend any time there’s a question that has a more involved answer that you wait at least six seconds before answering and if this means just keeping a small count in your head after being asked the question, while kind of giving some deep consideration, and breaking eye contact for that little bit, you do that. This is fine.
Don’t let it drag on to 30 seconds or a minute or anything crazy like that because that just becomes crazy uncomfortable. But in order to quell that immediate reaction type of response waiting six seconds helps break that reaction and keep you focused on giving a little more thought to the question on hand. Give yourself some thinking time. It will help you come up with better answers.
2. Don’t Rush Through The Interview
Don’t jump from question to question and expect things to go smoothly and in your favor. Sure, you do value your time and you do absolutely value the interviewer’s time but you don’t want to seem rushed and you don’t want to seem like you have better things to do. Treat this as a conversation you’re having with someone that is dealing with your bank account.
This is someone that can’t do business without you but you also need them very much. It’s a mutual kind of thing. It’s not one person higher than the other. It is you very much interested in a positive outlook and you understanding that the other person is very much interested in a positive outlook too. Don’t rush through.
3. Clarify If Needed
If you give an answer that as soon as it left the tip you your tongue, you feel that some of it can be taken the wrong way. You need to clarify. Whether that’s just a, “Oh, I’m sorry that didn’t come out exactly the way I wanted let me rephrase that or let me add a little bit to that.” Keep it short, one to five sentences, no more than thirty seconds.
You don’t want to drag on. The longer you spend time covering or making up for any mistake you made can tip the scales against you. But, if you do need to clarify and correct something that you have said, you can do it tactfully and professionally without any negative impact.
4. Ask Clarifying Questions
If the interviewer asks you a question that doesn’t make sense, you need to clarify. You need to make sure you understand what they are talking about and if it’s something that’s entirely pivotal in proving how useful you are for the position, if you’re going to try to fake it now you are going to have to fake it on a daily basis if you get the position and that’s not what you want to do.
You want to be up front and honest. If you don’t understand something, ask something in a tactful manner that will help you elicit more information to understand what’s going on. Don’t be dumb about it. Be smart, logical and tactful about getting more clarifying information so you can properly answer questions for them.
Beat the Fear, Overcome the Confusion
Interviewing for a new job can be confusing and an overall frustrating process. However, if you keep these four tips we just discussed in mind it will help clear that fog of the unknown and keep you focused on “Hey, this is a good thing for both parties.” Give yourself some thinking time. Don’t rush through the questions.
Clarify your answers if needed and seek clarification on things that you aren’t sure of. These four tips are things that you can keep in your repertoire of interview tactics and they will really give you that step up that you need to stand above the rest. I hope this helps you in your interview and your job seeking process.
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