Job Hunt January: Curing interview anxiety
Flip the power dynamic with this key question
💡Community knowledge-sharing time! What’s something besides salary you negotiated for when offered a job? I’ll share responses to help your fellow subscribers in an upcoming newsletter!
You’ve polished your resume and defined your next role, and now you’re going out on interviews. More often than not, this feels like an anxiety rollercoaster, plunging from highs like “that went really well” to the turbulent lows of “why haven’t I heard from them yet?”
It doesn’t have to be this way.
There is a critical question that reframes the entire wrenching process. This question even transforms those moments when a potential employer doesn’t hire you or ghosts you after the interview from crashing disappointments to oases of relief.
It’s all about switching the job hunt mindset from getting the job to ensuring this job gets you.
The question to ask yourself about your interview is: “How well did I represent the unique value I’d bring to this role?”
This changed the entire interview process for me. I was no longer trying to read minds, wondering, “What did they think of me? Did I give them the answers they wanted? Are they going to hire me?” Instead, I could focus on the aspect of the interview process I could actually control: presenting my skills and explaining my interest in the position.
This helps inform your actions during every step of the interview process:
Applying: Do your resume and cover letter emphasize what you’d bring to the role?
Pre-interview prep: Select those examples that best illustrate the story you’re sharing about your unique value.
During the interview: See how your selling points are landing. Do they seem interested by what you offer?
After the interview: Check whether you represented what you could bring to the role.
I even wrote this question to myself in my interview notes, and I’d write my response immediately following a call. “Bridget: Do you feel like you represented who you are? Bridget: Yes! I…” This was helpful for me to refer back to when anxiety inevitably started to creep in as time went on and I hadn’t heard back. Being specific helps: describe what you said and how well it backed up your main case for being hired. It’s also a great way to examine if there’s anything you didn’t cover that you’d like to mention in a follow-up email or on the next call in the process.
We often feel powerless during a job search. But if you have the runway to take some time finding your next role, this question is a wonderful way to screen out jobs that may not be the right fit for you. If you get turned down for a job after you successfully showed how you’d bring your skills to the role, then you may be able to breathe a sigh of relief. That job didn’t want what you’re most excited to offer, and now you don’t have to contort yourself into a position that’s the wrong fit. Instead, you can bring this powerful question to the next interview to find the place where you and your contributions will be valued.
Happy navigating,
Bridget
You can still book a career chat session with me, four slots remain for February.