How to Accord Yourself in Job Interview Settings

How to Accord Yourself in Job Interview Settings How to Accord Yourself in Job Interview Settings At astronaut job interviews, the hopeful applicant has to sit in a centrifugal simulator that spins them up to nine Gs. Fortunately, most people only have to deal with offices or coffee shops. Every interview drumherum requires a different approach, but the key is to appear unaffected by the surroundings. Think of what Damone said in Fast Times at Ridgemont High Act like wherever you are, thats the place to be. Lets take a look at a few job interview settings.The Coffee Shop InterviewThe idea of the coffee shop interview is for casual talk when companies arent comfortable enough to bring you in yet. Its not like an old fashioned driving test where the instructor puts his coffee on the dashboard and says, If even one drop of this coffee spills youll fail. While a cafe is a little less uptight than an office setting, sometimes being around other people can lead to feelings of self-consciou sness, in the same way that its hard to urinate when someones watching (not a good analogy). Perhaps you dont want people hearing the kind of answers youre giving, and have nightmares of the entire cafe shaking their head at you in disappointment. Try not to worry about it. You will never see any of unterstellung people again, and they want your interview to go well as much as you do, since theres little worse than sitting next to one that isnt. Use the opportunity to give the kind of sincere answers that wouldnt cause a stranger to roll their eyes or throw their coffee at you. Avoid cliches, and imagine the coffee shop as an audience cheering you on. Even feel free to invoke the help of anyone nearby. Thats a great question, you could say to the interviewer. Im going to let this girl on her iPad field it.The Webcam InterviewWebcam interviews can be a bit awkward since it feels like youre an astronaut talking to people back on earth. Theres plenty of Hello? Can you hear me? Is that you? Whats great about a webcam interview is that you only have to dress nicely from the neck up. You dont even need to put on pants, which gives you a bit of an advantage, unless the doorbell rings requiring you to get up. Better wear pants. First decide where to sit in your home, with whats behind you in mind. You could sit in front of a wall of hardbound books like a lawyer in a commercial, in front of the companys poster that you just put up, or in front of a great view, which will make you look powerful like Gordon Gecko. Dont sit in the bathroom. Because the technology isnt quite perfect and sometimes delayed, try to avoid talking over the interviewer. Check your camera angle and lighting, so you dont appear like the bad guy in a horror movie. If youre not sure how to answer a question, give yourself extra time by only mouthing your response. The interviewer will think the sound failed and then you can actually answer when youre ready and the sound is back on. Or maybe theyll see right through it when they hear the in-screen game of Tetris youve got going. Careful there.The Office InterviewThe office interview is the flagship of interview settings, and can be the most nerve-racking because of the professional environment. I mean, youre surrounded by people who already have jobs in a room that probably isnt decorated warmly. No throw pillows, no lava lamp, no hanging beads- how can anyone have a discussion there?But fret not, because they dont just bring anyone into the office. Getting an office interview often means that youve passed the first round, so walk in like you belong there, though dont departure firing people. Do all the research you can on the company and the people interviewing you, and then do some more. When youre able to reference a companys recent product releases or blog posts, it gives the impression that youre invested in working there, and not someone who just likes talking to strangers.Try to get a sense of the office environment, a nd feel free to make light of anything you notice in order to break the tension, because your being comfortable will make them feel comfortable. One time I was in a conference room that had an inflatable punching dummy. I had to bring it up during the interview, and it totally worked, because they hired me to replace the punching dummy.Remember, the location of an interview will have a bearing on its tone, but it shouldnt have a bearing on your tone, which is to say, even if the interview is being conducted knees deep in a ball pit, you want to show up on time, dress properly, and answer as skilfully as you can. Just try to find that sweet spot between professionalism and casualness.For an example, this article is way too casual and not at all professional. Dont be like this article.