Interview Articles

The first article I read was "How to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions." The first question this article addressed was the future question. I don't particularly like this question either, but the author of this article gives a simple solution. Rather than focusing on your career plan when giving an answer, just talk about your values. This was probably the only part of the article that I learned anything new from. The salary question isn't as clear cut, which is why you should prepare for it in advance. The author suggests deflecting the question by inquiring about the salary of the position. If the interviewer seeks an answer after this you should give a range based on several factors, such as a previous salary or industry standard. This article doesn't help much when addressing the why question either. When an employer asks why they should hire you, the author says you must practice in the mirror, so that you can sound confident rather than arrogant or lacking of self-esteem. The last question, the silly question, is explained along the same lines as the why question. The author just says not to panic and that there is no right answer.

The second article I read was "How to Deal With Interview Stress." This is something that I could improve upon. Interview situations are much like public speaking situations for me. I get nervous and that nervousness shows. One good suggestion the author gives is arrival time. By arriving 10 minutes early you can avoid arriving too early, which may result in increasing anxiety, and arriving too late, which may cause you to race in to the interview sweaty and with a pounding heartbeat. The next suggestion may vary depending on the person. This involves creating a mental picture prior to or during the interview to help boost your confidence. Remaining relaxed is obviously the best way to deal with interview stress. The author suggests that you should control your breathing, maintain good posture while avoiding crossing your legs, control the rate of your speaking and pause for breath, avoid visible clenching, and smile. All of these suggestions are things I am already familiar with. One last suggestion that could be particularly helpful concerns saving the interview after a mistake. The author notes that sooner or later you will screw up somehow and this may be followed by an awkward silence. To avoid this you should just take a 10 second pause to catch your breath and regain your senses and then soldier on.