Job Interviews
“Vocation is the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.”
—Frederick Buechner
This practice can apply to any kind of interview where we (feel) we are being chosen for something—jobs, schools, internships. All of these situations set up a power dynamic—the chooser and the chosen—that can rattle us, make us feel desperate, make us feel like we have to brag about ourselves and our accomplishments. We can fall into the “pick me!” mentality, rather than picking ourselves.
Please let that go.
Aside from the basics (to make enough money, to get experience and education), why are we applying for this opportunity? Usually, it is to find a great fit for what we want, what they want, what we have to offer, what they have to offer.
RESEARCH
Well before the interview, we do our research to answer as many of those questions as possible:
What do they do?
Who are they?
What are they looking for specifically? If there is any ambiguity in the job description, get clarity beforehand, if possible.
Do we know anyone who as worked or gone to school there? Did they like it? Any red flags? In just the way that our potential choosers review our background before meeting us, we review theirs.
Research will reveal many questions with no answers. Wonderful! Then we have something to talk about in the interview.
PREPARE
Anticipate the questions they might ask. Especially our worst fear questions (“We see that you left school mid-year, is there a reason for that?” “Is there a reason your current supervisor is not listed as a reference?”). In fact, we can speak about the elephants in the room before they ask just to clear the air.
Be proactive and ask them what kinds of things are important to the organization.
Prepare answers using vivid examples and stories to really illustrate, show, how we work. Think back to times when we have worked under stress, collaborated, led, followed, found creative answers to thorny problems. Those are the stories they will want to hear.
Think of real questions we can ask, hard questions, things that are important for us to know so WE can make a decision that is best for us—getting a job or an acceptance that isn’t a good fit isn’t a win.
Then, we shift our intention from a low intention (“to get the job”) to a high intention (“to find out if this is a good fit”). Notice how an intention that boomerangs the attention back onto ourselves (“to get the job” or “to impress”), amplifies the imbalance of power, adds to anxiety, and can make us feel insecure and even desperate. Whereas, using an intention that focuses the attention on others and on the task at hand (“to find out if this is a good fit” or “to see how I can help”), is a relief. How do we find out if this job, this role, this organization, this team, is a good fit? We not only have questions, we also might have ideas to share.
CURIOSITY
Lead with curiosity. We can’t make assumptions about what they want. When we lead with curiosity, we open doors.
PRACTICE
One wonderful way to approach an interview is to see it as a space to practice working together! Walk in as if this is our first day of work rather than a test. In the theater, we think of an audition as the first rehearsal, rather than a moment to show off or ‘win’ the role. Showing off is a low intention. Rehearsing together is a high intention.
So in an interview, we have the opportunity to work together. Not only will our future colleagues get to know us on a deeper level than they could possibly know us by reading our CV, we get to know them and to get a sense of what the daily interactions, problem solving, idea generating, work will feel like.
Get curious about what they are working on and jump right into solving problems! Brainstorming! Collaborating!
This moves us quickly from “I” to “WE.”
SHOW UP FULLY
Rather than showing off, we can strive to show our selves. Right off the bat. The more we know about the organization, and yes, the more they know about US, the better. We would hate to start a job, sometimes even moving to a new home, just to discover that there were unexpected dynamics that just don’t work for us. The same goes for the people hiring: we can show our selves right away so that there are no surprises on their end either. This does not mean, of course, showing up in a crumpled shirt and burping or recounting all of our perceived failures and imperfections. It simply means, if we have parts of ourselves that are pronounced and important to our work lives and colleagues, we should include those parts in the interview. For example, if working in a diverse community is important to us, we can ask about the company’s stance, makeup, practices. If we work better with a quiet space, asking about office layout and culture is important.
AND REPEAT
And of course, play the numbers game. Get in front of as many people as possible, say yes to every interview, rack up that experience, use every opportunity to connect.