Because she was not ready for the series of questions, Sally tripped over her answers. She focused on issues that weren’t relevant and provided little information on what was pertinent. She began to ramble and appeared under-qualified for the position.
Sensing that she was interviewing poorly, Sally began to lose patience with the process. She failed to maintain eye contact and began to fidget. The enthusiasm she felt for the position and the company slowly diminished as she witnessed the blank looks on the faces of the panellists. She withdrew mentally from the interview, and as a result, appeared disinterested.
Lesson learned: Most interviewers expect candidates to be nervous during an interview, and they rarely will forgive you if you fail to demonstrate a sincere interest in working for them. Most hiring decisions are based on whether the interviewer feels a connection to you. The failure to establish a bond immediately is usually beyond repair.
After the interview Sally realized that the questions she had been asked were not difficult. She had been overwhelmed by nervousness and that had clouded her ability to communicate clearly and to the point effectively.
Lesson learned: Even if you have the “right stuff,” nothing is guaranteed. Don’t get caught off guard; prepare for interviews; do your homework.
Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers’
There are two types of job seekers. One, that has a laid back approach, and the other that always feels "there aren’t enough hours in the day" and compulsively searches for a job without taking a breather.