Job interviews can be tricky. Ever heard that before? Sure you have, which means you should probably write it down. Now. Somewhere. Anywhere.
But understanding why job interviews stump us so is crucial to getting really good at them. In my experience I’ve learned how easy it is to prepare for an interview the wrong way. The wrong way includes preparing for the occasion strictly like a test, or an invisible chess game between you and the interviewer. The intention of the interviewer, hopefully, isn’t to devise questions to trip you up. It’s quite opposite of finding reasons not to hire you. It’s to find reasons to hire you, and your best argument will be personality.
So the very first thing you should do before knowing the ins and outs of the company you’re interviewing with, before understanding the appropriate level of eye contact, before clicking through the internet’s vast library of “popular” interview questions (“How much does the ice in a hockey rink weigh?”) and before doing a background check of your own on the interviewer, it’s important to know yourself. Knowing yourself, having your story down will always be your go-to lifesaver in any interview.
One idea I practically chanted to myself during preparation was that any robot or monkey, or robot monkey can walk into a room and spit out the cookie-cutter answer. It is so crucial to present personality, as from this flows the best avenue to communicate your work ethic, morals, beliefs, motivation, your idea of true success, hobbies, skills and ultimately, what you will do and who you will be for this company. Sure, this will be you on your best behavior, but who are we kidding? You’re ALWAYS on your best behavior.
Now, when you’re in an interview and the “Would you be willing to live in Alaska?” question comes up, you can have the confidence and heart to say, “One goal of mine has always been to live near the water. Of course, I’d go anywhere the job needs me, but my preference will always be the ocean.” This might not be the best answer, but it shows that you have a mind of your own, that you’re all about setting personal goals for yourself and that you’d be willing to sacrifice your will for that of the job. On the other hand, if you love moose and frozen tundra, you are just in plain luck.
